![Hon. Festus Keyamo SAN arrives MMIA past 11:50 p.m. Feb 23 to lead oversight of Terminal 1 fire. Joined FAAN MD & team actively managing situation. Directed morning inspection Tuesday to guide restoration & confirm safety standards. Reaffirmed focus on passenger safety. Story: [link] #KeyamoMMIA #FireIncident #FAAN](https://fullcliphq.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/mym-150x150.jpg "MMIA Fire: Keyamo Inspects Lagos Airport After Terminal 1 Blaze Disrupts Flights")
More than 100 suspected jihadists have been released by Malian authorities as part of an agreement to halt repeated attacks on fuel tanker convoys that had caused severe shortages in the capital, Bamako, security and official sources have tole the media.
The deal, mediated locally, was reached with the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which had targeted the convoys since September 2025. The attacks had severely disrupted fuel supply to Bamako, leading to acute shortages and economic strain in the landlocked country.
A local elected official confirmed the release of “more than 100 jihadists” in return for “the opening of a corridor to allow convoys of tanker lorries to pass through.” Security sources indicated the truce is expected to hold at least until the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha (Tabaski) at the end of May 2026. Several members of the Fulani ethnic group, often conflated with jihadist fighters in the region, were also among those freed.
Mali has been gripped by a complex security crisis since 2012, with violence driven by Al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates, alongside criminal gangs and inter-communal conflicts. The military junta that seized power in 2020 has struggled to contain the insurgency despite ending military cooperation with France and other Western partners and pivoting toward Russia for security assistance.
The fuel convoy attacks had paralysed Bamako’s supply chain, forcing reliance on costly and risky overland routes through unstable border regions. The prisoner release marks a pragmatic, locally negotiated step to restore basic economic stability in the capital, though it has raised concerns among human rights groups about the long-term implications of releasing individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism.
No official statement has been issued by the Malian government confirming the deal or the number of prisoners released. The arrangement reflects the junta’s broader approach of seeking localised ceasefires and negotiations in areas where military operations alone have failed to restore order.
The truce is seen as a temporary measure amid ongoing jihadist activity across central and northern Mali. Informed observers warn that without addressing root causes – including governance gaps, ethnic tensions, and limited state presence in rural areas – similar disruptions could resume after the Tabaski period.
