Mali
Muslim families in Bamako, Mali, found themselves unable to travel for Eid al-Adha this year, as a persistent jihadist blockade encircles the capital, forcing many to celebrate the significant holiday, locally known as Tabaski, far from their loved ones.
Forty-year-old Alpha Amadou, originally from Mopti in central Mali, was compelled to abandon his customary journey home for the annual festivities. “For the first time in my thirty years living in Bamako, I will be celebrating Eid here this year,” he shared.
Since late April, fighters affiliated with Al-Qaïda’s Sahel branch have established roadblocks on critical routes leading into Bamako, resulting in the destruction of dozens of buses and cargo trucks. While the blockade is not absolute, chilling images of burnt-out vehicles have severely deterred transport services and individuals from traveling to their hometowns.
In Mali, Eid al-Adha transcends its religious significance, serving as a pivotal social tradition. It represents one of the rare opportunities for families, often dispersed for work throughout the year, to reunite. However, the usual pre-holiday bustle at Bamako’s bus terminals has been replaced by an unsettling quiet. Beyond the pervasive insecurity, widespread fuel shortages have further crippled the transport sector.
“Not only are we struggling with diesel scarcity to keep our vehicles running, but we’ve also lost buses in recent attacks. This has dealt a severe economic blow,” stated the anonymous owner of a local travel agency. Another transport company official added, “Typically, we would transport over 50,000 people from Bamako to other regions in a week for Eid al-Adha. This year, we have no trips planned whatsoever.”
For Wara Bagayoko, the tradition always involved packing the family car and heading to Ségou, in central Mali, for a collective celebration. This year, he will remain in Bamako, as even private vehicles have become targets. “This will be the first time in thirty years I won’t celebrate in my village. The road is simply too perilous,” he lamented. Oumar Diarra echoed this sentiment, recalling, “We used to be about twenty of us traveling together by motorbike to Sikasso (in the south) to celebrate. This year, we’ll stay in Bamako.” A few minibuses still manage to navigate into the city, utilizing secondary routes or traveling under military escort.
Livestock scarcity for sacrifice
The transport disruptions have also severely impacted the livestock trade, which is crucial for the traditional Eid al-Adha sacrifice. Due to the blockade, herders and traders face immense challenges in bringing their animals to Bamako, the country’s primary consumer market.
Alassane Maiga, a transporter, revealed that the cost of transporting an animal, typically between 2,500 and 2,750 CFA francs (around $5), has skyrocketed this year to between 15,000 and 18,000 CFA francs ($26 to $31). Consequently, sheep are scarce and significantly more expensive in a nation where the minimum monthly wage is only 40,000 CFA francs.
“Many trucks carrying sheep have been set ablaze by jihadists… I would usually have over 1,000 animals, but today, I don’t have a single one,” shared Hama Ba, a Bamako merchant. Iyi, searching for an affordable sheep, remarked, “Sheep we once bought for 75,000 francs now sell for 300,000. Before, there was an abundance of choice, but today, they have almost vanished from Bamako.”
Daily life struggles: power cuts and water shortages
The security crisis continues to infiltrate daily life, as essential services within the city face increasing degradation. Bamako is currently grappling with prolonged electricity outages and a severe scarcity of potable water.
