Rebels pressuring junta: ‘For first time, urban dwellers in Mali really feeling effects of conflict’

African Union Commission President Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed serious concern over an ongoing jihadist blockade in Mali, calling for “urgent international action”. For weeks, jihadists with the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) have imposed a fuel blockade on Mali, creating a major crisis for its once-popular ruling military junta. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, William Hilderbrandt welcomes Dr. Bruce Whitehouse, Professor of Anthropology at Lehigh University.