A Moroccan transport official has pushed back against reports that multiple Moroccan trucks were burned near the Mauritania-Mali border, saying available information indicates only one vehicle was attacked.
Mustapha Chaoun, head of the African Federation of Transport and Logistics Organizations, said a single Moroccan truck was set on fire in Mali by armed groups while returning to Morocco. He added that the driver and an accompanying person escaped without injury.
His comments contradict earlier media reports citing witnesses who claimed that at least six Moroccan trucks were burned along a key route linking the Mauritanian border to the Malian capital, Bamako.
The incident highlights growing security risks along West African transport corridors, particularly in Mali, where armed groups have expanded operations in recent years.
Chaoun said transport operators bear responsibility for exposing themselves to danger, noting that many are not affiliated with professional organizations and do not follow warnings issued by Moroccan diplomatic missions in the region.
“We have repeatedly warned about the dangers of crossing areas where extremist groups operate,” he said, criticizing what he described as risky behavior by some companies and drivers.
Chaoun urged transport professionals to comply with instructions from Moroccan consulates in unstable countries, particularly Mali, where militant activity has intensified.
Reports indicated that armed individuals linked to the Macina Liberation Front, affiliated with the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), were behind recent attacks targeting transport vehicles.
Other accounts also suggested that trucks from Senegal and Mauritania had been targeted in separate incidents along the same corridor, with at least one driver reportedly sustaining minor injuries.
The campaigns targeting cargo vehicles come amid escalating violence in Mali, where armed groups have sought to disrupt supply routes and isolate urban centers.
Recent coordinated attacks in late April targeted Bamako and other cities, contributing to a deteriorating security environment and complicating regional trade flows.
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