Mali faces a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis after soldiers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré in March. The junta said it acted because the government had mishandled a Tuareg insurgency in the north. Instead, the coup created a power vacuum that helped rebels rapidly capture the major northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, raising fears that the country could split.

The rebel forces have differing aims. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg homeland in northern Mali. Ansar Dine, an Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda’s North African branch, wants Mali to remain united under Islamic law. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned Western music on local radio and told people in Timbuktu to follow Islamic law. Some civilians were fleeing the central town of Mopti, fearing a further advance south.

West African leaders, concerned about the collapse of Mali and instability across the Sahel, demanded that the junta restore civilian rule. After a deadline expired, the Economic Community of West African States imposed sanctions, closing borders and freezing Mali’s account at the regional central bank. The African Union also imposed sanctions. Junta leader Capt. Amadou Sanogo said the military would remain in power but promised to consult political groups about a transition body and elections in which the soldiers would not participate.

The embargo quickly affected daily life in landlocked Mali, which imports all its fuel. Long lines formed at petrol stations as residents stocked up, including farmers who depend on diesel generators for irrigation. Fuel shortages also threatened electricity supplies during the hot season, when low water levels limit hydropower. The frozen account raised doubts about the government’s ability to pay civil servants. A junta negotiator said the MNLA was open to talks, but an MNLA spokesman said it had not contacted the junta and did not recognize Sanogo as a legitimate negotiating partner.

The violence has compounded a regional food emergency following drought: aid agencies warned that 13 million people needed food assistance. According to the UN refugee agency, more than 200,000 people had been uprooted since January, including around 100,000 who fled Mali.

UNESCO also warned that fighting threatened Timbuktu’s World Heritage Site, including its distinctive mud-and-wood mosques and cemeteries. The city is home to approximately 700,000 ancient manuscripts documenting a rich literary and scientific tradition; the takeover could disrupt preservation work and access to the collections. The UN Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting as calls grew for international support to address the crisis.