A military coup in Mali has deepened a political, security and humanitarian crisis, raising fears that the country could split and destabilize West Africa. Soldiers led by Capt. Amadou Sanogo 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 Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, leaving much of northern Mali outside government control.

The armed groups have different aims. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg homeland, while the Islamist group Ansar Dine wants to impose Islamic law while keeping the territory within Mali. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned alcohol and Western music, and told people in Timbuktu to live under Islamic law. Civilians were fleeing areas threatened by further advances. According to the UN refugee agency, violence since January had displaced more than 200,000 people, including 100,000 who fled Mali.

West African leaders and the African Union imposed sanctions to pressure the junta to restore civilian rule. The regional measures included border closures and the freezing of Mali’s account at the regional central bank. Sanogo said the army would remain in power but promised consultations on a transition body to organize elections. Regional leaders feared Mali’s collapse could have consequences across the Sahel, although some Malians resented what they saw as interference by neighboring countries.

The embargo quickly raised concerns about fuel and electricity in landlocked Mali, which relies on fuel trucked in from coastal neighbors. Long lines formed at petrol stations as residents and businesses stocked up. Farmers worried about running irrigation generators, while low water levels threatened hydropower supplies during the hot season. The frozen account also cast doubt on future civil-service salaries.

The fighting threatened Timbuktu’s cultural heritage. UNESCO called for the protection of the World Heritage Site, known for its distinctive mud-and-wood architecture, historic mosques and ancient manuscripts documenting Islamic scholarship, science, mathematics and history. The takeover could disrupt preservation work and access to the collections.

The conflict has also worsened a regional food emergency: aid agencies warned that 13 million people in Mali and neighboring countries needed food assistance following drought.