Mali and Senegal border at Kidira and Diboli

Where the crossing is

Diboli is the Malian border post on the road between Senegal and Mali. APA describes it as less than two kilometres from the Senegalese town of Kidira ¹. Malian services at the post include police, customs and an office for travel formalities, according to the same report ¹.

The UK FCDO page on Senegal says the borders with Mali and Mauritania are not tightly controlled and that border areas may be at risk or destabilised ⁶.

The 1 July 2025 attack

Suspected jihadist armed groups attacked the Diboli post at dawn on Tuesday 1 July 2025, as reported by APA from Kédougou ¹. Police stations, customs offices and the image and formalities office were targeted. Video testimonies verified by APA showed buildings riddled with bullets ¹. The Malian General Staff said army positions in Niono, Molodo, Sandaré, Nioro du Sahel, Gogui, Kayes and Diboli were attacked at the same time ¹.

The APA report did not describe any attack on the Senegalese side of the border ¹. It said Senegal has never had a jihadist attack on its own territory ¹.

Fuel blockade on roads to Senegal

Hassane Koné of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) wrote on 6 October 2025 that JNIM had been obstructing traffic on strategic roads since 3 September 2025 ². He wrote that trade on the roads linking Mali to Senegal and Mauritania was disrupted and that travellers were kidnapped on those routes ². JNIM threatened to blockade Kayes and Nioro, according to the same analysis ².

The UK FCDO says JNIM blockades target fuel trucks and enforce checkpoints for people trying to pass, and that attacks on major roads and transport routes are increasing across Mali ⁷.

Documents after Mali left ECOWAS

Mali's withdrawal from ECOWAS took effect on 29 January 2025 ⁵. On that date the ECOWAS Commission asked authorities to keep recognising national passports and identity cards with the ECOWAS logo held by citizens of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, until further notice ⁵. It said those citizens should keep visa-free movement, residence and establishment rights under ECOWAS protocols, and that their goods should still be treated under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme ⁵.

In the other direction, the heads of state of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) adopted a declaration in December 2024 allowing ECOWAS nationals to enter AES states without a visa, as reported by Sidwaya ⁸. Each state keeps the right to refuse entry to people it deems inadmissible ⁸. This guide found no official Senegalese notice that changes these rules at Kidira.

Official advice on both sides