Residents of Diosso, a village in Mali’s central Ségou region, are calling for urgent assistance as they remain trapped under a terrorist-imposed blockade. The militant group Jnim, has cut off the village for nearly a year and a half, preventing movement in or out.
Despite the risks, villagers have recorded video messages, circulating them through private messaging services to appeal for state intervention. In one of the testimonies, the village chief, Dasso Dembele, recalls the assassination of his predecessor and the looting of his livestock before handing the floor to his brother.
“We have been under siege for 15 months,” says Bina Dembele. “Diosso is only seven kilometers from Ké Macina, yet we cannot leave or receive supplies. We urge President Assimi Goïta and the governor to intervene so that we can access the market and provide for our village and neighboring communities facing similar hardships. Ramadan has begun, but we have nothing.”
Shortages of Food, Medicine in Diosso and Other Villages
In many parts of central Mali, some communities have brokered local agreements with Jnim, accepting conditions such as the closure of public schools and mandatory tax payments in exchange for the ability to continue daily activities. However, villages like Diosso that refuse to comply face severe repercussions, including attacks and complete isolation.
With roads blocked, food and medicine are running dangerously low. “We have no millet, no sugar, not even salt,” laments one woman in the video. Another adds, “Children are falling ill and dying because we have no means to treat them. The government must come to our aid.”
By openly making their plea, the people of Diosso risk retaliation from the Katiba Macina, the Jnim faction enforcing the blockade. Their rare public outcry underscores the desperation of a community struggling to survive.
Meanwhile, Mali’s transitional authorities maintain that security is improving, claiming that terrorist groups are “on the defensive” and that the national army continues to strengthen its operations.