Fuel Crisis Management: Mali’s CECOGEC Implements New Security Forces Supply Protocol
In the midst of a nationwide fuel distribution crisis that has gripped Mali for weeks, the country’s crisis management authority has announced sweeping changes to how security forces will access petroleum products. The move comes as citizens continue to face long queues and supply shortages at public filling stations across the West African nation.
Strategic Response to National Emergency
The Center for Crisis Coordination and Management (CECOGEC), operating under the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, issued an official statement on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, outlining new protocols designed to ensure uninterrupted fuel access for the nation’s Defense and Security Forces (FDS) while addressing public concerns about equitable distribution.
The document, signed by Colonel SP Issa Raoul Dana Dabo, Director of CECOGEC, reveals that military command has established specific measures to guarantee fuel availability for security personnel. These protocols aim to prevent disruptions to critical defense, security, and emergency response missions during what officials describe as a “national energy crisis.”
Dedicated Fueling Points: A Practical Solution
According to the detailed communiqué, military authorities have identified exclusive sales points that will serve only members of the Defense and Security Forces. This strategic approach seeks to better manage available fuel reserves while enabling operational units to continue their activities without interruption.
“Personnel of the Defense and Security Forces will henceforth obtain their fuel supplies at the exclusive sales points determined internally by the command,” the CECOGEC statement emphasized. The same source indicated this arrangement should reduce tensions at public stations and prevent misunderstandings between military personnel, law enforcement officers, and civilian populations.
Strict Ban on Priority Access at Public Stations
In perhaps the most significant policy shift, the announcement explicitly prohibits security force members from seeking priority access at public fueling stations. The directive makes clear that military and security personnel are formally forbidden from presenting themselves at public stations to receive preferential treatment.
The CECOGEC statement left no room for interpretation:
“Personnel of the Defense and Security Forces must no longer appear at other service stations to form dedicated lines or facilitate pump access for other users. Otherwise, they will be required to respect the order of arrival like any other citizen.”
This firm stance, while strict, reflects a commitment to transparency and equity, while upholding the professional ethics expected of security forces, who are called to be models of discipline and civic responsibility.
Context of the Crisis: Supply Disruptions and Strategic Responses
The fuel crisis in Mali has been building for months, exacerbated by complex factors including supply chain disruptions and security challenges. The situation reached critical levels when the armed group JNIM imposed restrictions on fuel imports, creating bottlenecks that drained national reserves and left both civilians and security forces scrambling for limited supplies.
How does a nation ensure its security apparatus remains operational when basic resources become scarce? This is the fundamental question Malian authorities have been grappling with as they balance military necessities with civilian needs.
Calming Measures for Effective Crisis Management
Against this backdrop of major disruptions in fuel distribution, authorities are intensifying efforts to guarantee minimum strategic availability. The Center for Crisis Coordination and Management plays a pivotal role in coordinating between various involved departments, particularly those of Security, Energy, and Transport.
According to several observers, this new organizational approach should help prevent overflow situations at stations, maintain public order, and guarantee continuity of security missions in the field. It also serves to preserve troop morale while reassuring citizens about the government’s commitment to balanced management of available resources.
Security analyst Dr. Aminata Coulibaly, who has studied resource allocation during crises in the Sahel region, notes that “when both civilians and security forces face the same scarcity, tensions inevitably rise. By creating separate supply channels for military and security needs, Mali is adopting a pragmatic approach that has proven effective in other conflict-affected nations.”
CECOGEC: Mali’s Central Crisis Management Architecture
Since its establishment, CECOGEC has emerged as an essential instrument for coordinating national responses to disasters and multifaceted crises. Its mandate covers prevention, planning, operational management, and public communication during periods of tension.
Through close collaboration with the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), National Police, Gendarmerie, and Civil Protection, the Center works to optimize institutional responses to emergencies. This latest fuel crisis represents another test of Mali’s crisis management capabilities amid ongoing security challenges in the region.
“The effectiveness of crisis management often depends on anticipating needs before they become emergencies,” explains a former CECOGEC official who requested anonymity. “What we’re seeing now is a system being stress-tested, and the establishment of dedicated fuel access points shows adaptive thinking in real-time.”
Broader Implications for National Security
The fuel crisis and its management have implications beyond immediate supply issues. Security operations against armed groups in northern and central Mali depend heavily on mobility, which in turn requires reliable fuel access. Any interruption in this supply chain could potentially compromise months of strategic gains against insurgent forces.
Meanwhile, civilian frustration has been mounting as ordinary citizens spend hours in queues, sometimes only to find stations running dry before their turn arrives. The new measures attempt to address both concerns simultaneously—ensuring security forces can perform their duties while removing them from competition with civilians for limited resources.
As the sun sets over Bamako each evening, the lines at fuel stations gradually disperse, with many drivers returning home empty-handed. The success of CECOGEC’s new approach will be measured not just in military operational capacity, but in the gradual return to normalcy for Mali’s civilian population. The coming weeks will reveal whether these measures can sustain both national security and public confidence during one of the country’s most challenging resource crises in recent years.
Credit: Moise Touré
Original Source: Bamada.net