Mali bans use of motorcycles outside major cities

Mali has prohibited the use of certain motorcycles outside major cities, a government order announced on Wednesday as the country confronts a growing jihadist insurgency.

Motorcycles are the primary mode of transport for jihadist groups in Mali, which has been thrown into a security crisis as militants block the capital, Bamako.

In a statement read on national television, officials declared that the “circulation of motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125 cc and above, outside major urban centres, is suspended throughout the entire national territory.”

The decree allows exceptions for Bamako, regional capitals and selected urban areas.

Authorities also announced a nationwide halt to the “import, transit, marketing, sale and free distribution” of motorcycles with engines of 125 cc or more, along with their accessories.

Mali’s security situation has worsened after large‑scale, coordinated attacks on the ruling military junta on April 25 and 26 by Al‑Qaeda‑linked jihadists and Tuareg separatists.

Since April 30, the insurgents have blocked several key routes into Bamako, setting fire to dozens of buses and freight trucks.

Armed groups have seized control of several northern areas, including the strategic town of Kidal, dealing a blow to the junta that seized power in 2020.

AFP

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