Mali faces a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis after soldiers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré in March, saying his government had mishandled a Tuareg rebellion in the north. The coup created a power vacuum that allowed rebels to seize the major northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu. The army has struggled to respond, raising fears that Mali could be divided and that instability could spread across the Sahel.

The forces that captured northern Mali have different aims. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg state, while the Islamist group Ansar Dine, reportedly linked to al-Qaeda’s North African branch, wants to impose Islamic law within Mali. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned Western music from local radio and told people in Timbuktu to follow Islamic law. Some civilians were fleeing the central town of Mopti for fear of a further advance.

West African leaders, concerned both for Mali and for stability in their own countries, demanded that the junta restore civilian rule. After a 72-hour deadline expired, the Economic Community of West African States imposed an embargo, closed borders and froze Mali’s account at the regional central bank; the African Union also imposed sanctions. Junta leader Capt. Amadou Sanogo said the army would remain in power but promised consultations on a transition body and elections in which the military leaders would not participate. A purported junta negotiator said the MNLA was open to talks, but an MNLA spokesman denied direct contact and said negotiations required a recognized authority.

The sanctions are putting immediate pressure on landlocked Mali, which imports all its fuel. Long lines formed at petrol stations as residents and farmers stockpiled supplies for transport and irrigation. Fuel shortages could also disrupt electricity generation during the hot season, when low water levels limit hydropower, and the frozen bank account raised questions about civil servants’ salaries.

UNESCO warned that fighting threatens Timbuktu’s World Heritage architecture, including its historic mosques and cemeteries, as well as efforts to preserve hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts. The conflict has also worsened a regional humanitarian emergency: the UN refugee agency said violence since January had displaced more than 200,000 people, about half of whom had fled Mali. Aid agencies warned that drought had left 13 million people across the region in need of food aid.