US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke with Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop to discuss shared security interests in the region.
The conversation comes amid a blockade by al Qaeda-linked militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) on fuel imports to the landlocked West African country.
JNIM has attacked fuel convoys attempting to enter Mali or reach the capital, Bamako, paralyzing the city and increasing pressure on the military government.
The US State Department recently ordered non-emergency employees and their family members to leave Mali due to safety risks.
Landau commended the Malian armed forces for their fight against Islamic extremist militants, including JNIM.
Security analysts say JNIM currently lacks the capability to seize Bamako, but the possibility of a takeover remains a concern for many Malians.
Outside the capital, JNIM has imposed travel restrictions and decreed that women must wear the hijab on public transport.
