Malian officials have prohibited the operation of motorcycles with an engine size of “125 cm3 and above” across the entire national territory, with exceptions only for the capital city and main administrative hubs. This decree was broadcast on national television on Wednesday, June 3, as the West African nation grapples with an intense jihadist insurgency.

Motorcycles have become a favored mode of transportation for jihadist factions in Mali, a country enduring an unprecedented security crisis for several weeks, exacerbated by militant groups imposing blockades on Bamako. An inter-ministerial order, publicly read on national television Wednesday evening, explicitly states: “The circulation of motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125 cm3 and above, outside major urban centers, is hereby suspended throughout the national territory.”

Exceptions for major urban and administrative centers

The official document clarifies that this decision does not impact the “District of Bamako, the regional capitals, circle capitals, and arrondissement capitals.” Furthermore, in a separate declaration, authorities announced the suspension of “the importation, transit, commercialization, sale, and gratuitous distribution of motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cm3 and above, as well as their associated accessories (…) across the entire national territory.”

Mali faces a critical security situation following large-scale, coordinated attacks on April 25 and 26. These assaults were carried out by jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, alongside the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) rebellion, which is predominantly Tuareg.

Since April 30, these jihadist groups have also enforced a series of road blockades on key routes leading into the capital, Bamako.