Mali faces a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis after a military coup ousted President Amadou Toumani Touré in March. The soldiers said they acted because his government had mishandled a Tuareg rebellion in the north. Instead, the upheaval created a power vacuum that allowed rebels to seize the major northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, raising fears that the country could split.

The groups involved have different goals. 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 of northern towns report that Islamist fighters have ransacked bars, banned Western music from local airwaves and told households in Timbuktu to follow Islamic law. Some civilians are fleeing the central town of Mopti for fear that the fighting will spread south.

West African leaders, concerned about the collapse of the Malian state and instability across the Sahel, have demanded a return to constitutional rule. After a deadline passed, 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 has said the army will not immediately leave power, but has promised consultations on a transition body and democratic elections in which the military leadership would not participate. A junta negotiator said the MNLA was willing to talk, though an MNLA spokesman said the group had no direct contact with the junta and did not recognize Sanogo.

The sanctions are adding to hardship in landlocked Mali, which imports all its fuel. Long queues have formed at filling stations, where farmers and others are stocking up for generators used for irrigation and electricity. Low water levels have reduced hydropower capacity during the hot season, and the frozen account has raised doubts about the government’s ability to pay civil servants. The conflict has displaced more than 200,000 people since January, including about 100,000 who have fled abroad. It has also compounded a regional drought emergency in which aid agencies say 13 million people need food assistance.

UNESCO has warned that fighting threatens Timbuktu’s World Heritage sites, including its distinctive mud-and-wood mosques and cemeteries. The city also holds hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts documenting Africa’s literary, scientific and historical heritage. The takeover could disrupt preservation efforts and access to the collections. The UN Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting as regional leaders sought international support for resolving the crisis.