Mali junta bans motorcycles outside cities and creates military zones to reduce militant attacks

Key points

• The military government of Mali has banned the sales and use of large motorcycles outside major urban areas and established military zones that are off limits to civilians in an attempt to reduce attacks by militant groups.
• The ban announced late on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) on national television affects motorcycles with engine displacements of 125 cubic centimetres and higher.
• Motorcycles are the primary means of transportation in rural areas of Mali and are used by rural residents and armed groups.
• Militants often criss-cross the large landscapes of the Sahelian terrain on motorcycles to launch attacks and withdraw.
• They regularly attack convoys of vehicles transporting goods to the capital Bamako, often setting them ablaze.