France, Nov. 7 -- The Malian city of Mopti has been plunged into darkness for weeks as a fuel blockade by jihadists tied to al-Qaeda cripples power supplies.

For a month now, the people of Mopti - one of Mali's largest and most vibrant cities - have been living in darkness. The lights went out in early October, and they have not come back on since.

The blackout is the result of a blockade imposed by jihadists linked to al-Qaeda. The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims - known as JNIM - announced in early September that it was cutting off fuel supplies to much of central Mali.

Since then, armed fighters have been attacking convoys of fuel tankers, leaving towns across the country struggling to power homes, hospitals and businesse...