Niger has revoked the licences of about 30 transport operators and drivers after they refused to deliver fuel to neighbouring Mali.
The decision comes as Mali faces renewed fuel shortages, worsened by a militant blockade choking key supply routes across the arid Sahel.
Niger and Mali, both ruled by military juntas, are allies alongside Burkina Faso, as insurgent violence intensifies across the fragile region.
Mali’s fuel crisis deepened in October and November, after militants cut supply lines to several western cities.
Niger, an oil producer, had planned to send 82 tankers to Bamako under military escort across a dangerous 1,400-kilometre route.
The transport ministry said it revoked the licences of 14 operators and 19 drivers, with another company suspended for one year.
Transport Minister Abdourahamane Amadou said the refusals violated legal obligations, calling the move necessary to protect national interests.
The three countries have formed the Alliance of Sahel States and launched joint military operations against militant groups.
Fuel shortages are again disrupting daily life in Mali, with several flights cancelled at Bamako airport in recent days.
For many Malians, the crisis feels like a slow-burning siege, where empty pumps echo the region’s growing insecurity.
