For a month now, the people of Mopti – one of Mali's largest and most vibrant cities – have been living in darkness. The lights went out in early October, and they have not come back on since. Months of blackouts and blocked fuel imports by jihadist fighters have crippled transport, trade, and daily life, exposing years of neglect in energy and infrastructure. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Mauritania Economic Development, Civil Security, Counter-Terrorism, Humanitarian Situation, Health, Islamic State, Al-Qaeda A Crisis of Unprecedented Scale Mali is entering an acute national emergency as the country faces a historic energy crisis that now affects. The Malian city of Mopti has been plunged into darkness for weeks as a fuel blockade by jihadists tied to al-Qaeda cripples power supplies. © Getty Images/Friedrich Schmidt. Drivers in the Malian capital are facing a diesel shortage because the national energy company is receiving priority supplies to cope with power outages. Mali's capital, Bamako, is grappling with a severe shortage of diesel. I have to plan my work around.