Mali Lithium Mine Defies Rebel Fuel Blockade

Kodal Minerals said Monday its Bougouni lithium mine in southern Mali remains operational even as Islamist insurgents intensify a nationwide fuel blockade that has paralyzed transport, closed schools, and choked diesel deliveries critical to mining logistics. The al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has expanded attacks on petroleum tankers entering from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, aiming to isolate the capital Bamako, according to Reuters. Kodal’s site, 180 km south of the city, continues trucking…