Mali faces a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis after soldiers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré in a March coup. The junta said it acted because the government had mishandled a Tuareg rebellion in the north, but the collapse of authority in Bamako allowed rebels to advance rapidly. They seized the major northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, raising fears that the country could split apart.

The rebel groups have different goals. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg state in northern Mali, while the Islamist group Ansar Dine wants to impose Islamic law while remaining part of Mali. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned Western music on local radio and told people in Timbuktu to live under Islamic law. Some civilians fled the central town of Mopti, fearing a further advance south.

The violence has displaced more than 200,000 people since January, according to the UN refugee agency, including about 100,000 who have fled Mali. It has also intensified a wider food crisis: aid agencies warn that 13 million people across the drought-stricken region need food assistance.

West African leaders, concerned that Mali’s collapse could destabilize the Sahel, have pressed the junta to 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 consultations on a transition body and democratic elections in which the junta would not participate. Reports differed on whether the MNLA was willing to negotiate with the junta: an MNLA spokesman said the group did not recognize Sanogo and wanted talks with a recognized authority.

The embargo has immediate consequences for landlocked Mali, which imports all its fuel. Long queues formed at petrol stations as residents and businesses stockpiled supplies. Farmers depend on fuel-powered generators for irrigation, and electricity supplies could falter during the hot season because low water levels limit hydropower and diesel generators help meet demand. The frozen bank account also raised doubts about the government’s ability to pay civil servants.

UNESCO warned that fighting threatens Timbuktu’s World Heritage Site, including its distinctive mud-and-wood mosques and cemeteries. The city is also home to hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts documenting Africa’s literary, religious and scientific history. The takeover could interrupt preservation efforts and restrict access to these collections.