MALI RECIEVES FUEL CONVOY AMID AL-QAEDA BLOCKADE

A convoy of 82 petrol tankers from Niger has reached Bamako after a 21-day journey, easing Mali’s fuel shortage caused by a two-month blockade by al Qaeda-linked militants. The attacks on convoys have paralyzed the capital and increased pressure on the military junta.
Mali, along with members of the Alliance of Sahel States, Niger and Burkina Faso, has turned to Russia for support, receiving fuel and agricultural supplies. Russian forces are escorting tankers to protect them from attacks amid the ongoing jihadist insurgency.