GUNMEN ATTACK INDUSTRIAL SITES, KIDNAP CIVILIANS IN WESTERN MALI

Gunmen attacked three industrial sites and kidnapped civilians in western Mali over the weekend, local sources told AFP on Monday, in what appears to be part of a growing jihadist effort to disrupt the economy.
Fighters from the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, have targeted industrial and mining sites in recent months and imposed a fuel blockade across the country.
A Malian security source described the damage from Sunday’s attacks in the Kayes region as “enormous,” adding that the government had sent reinforcements. Ibrahima Diawara, CEO of a plant producing calcium carbonate, lime, and plaster near Bafoulabe, said his site suffered “considerable damage,” while two other plants in the area were also attacked and set on fire.
Local reports indicate that nearly 160 armed assailants on motorbikes took part in the attacks. Three to four civilians were reportedly kidnapped, though no group has yet claimed responsibility.
JNIM has previously warned it would target industries and foreign companies working with the Malian state without its authorization. These attacks and kidnappings are reportedly used to fund their operations through ransom payments.
Since September, the group’s fuel blockade and attacks have severely disrupted the Malian economy, leading to shortages, power cuts, and widespread disruption in Bamako during October and November.