Mali faces a political, security and humanitarian crisis after soldiers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré in late March, saying his government had mishandled a Tuareg rebellion in the north. The coup weakened the army and created a power vacuum that enabled rebels to advance rapidly, capturing the key northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu. Their gains have raised fears that Mali could be divided and that instability could spread across the Sahel.

The forces involved have different goals. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg state in northern Mali. Ansar Dine, an Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda’s North African branch, wants to impose Islamic law while keeping the territory within Mali. 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.

West African leaders demanded that the junta restore civilian rule and, after a deadline expired, imposed sanctions that included 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 army would remain in power but promised consultations on a transition body and democratic elections in which the military would not participate. A purported junta negotiator said the MNLA was open to talks, but an MNLA spokesman said it had no direct contact with the junta and did not recognize Sanogo.

The embargo quickly prompted long queues at petrol stations. Landlocked Mali imports all its fuel, and shortages threaten transport, irrigation and electricity generation during the hot season, when low water levels limit hydropower. The frozen bank account also cast doubt on the government’s ability to pay civil servants.

The fighting has compounded a regional food emergency following drought. 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 13 million people across Mali and neighboring countries needed food assistance.

UNESCO also warned that fighting could endanger Timbuktu’s World Heritage Site, including its distinctive mud-and-wood mosques and cemeteries. The city holds roughly 700,000 ancient manuscripts documenting Islamic scholarship, science, mathematics and history. The takeover could disrupt preservation work and access to the collections. Regional leaders have called for support in restoring constitutional order and addressing a crisis with consequences beyond Mali’s borders.