Mali's military government has sought to calm anger over a blockade by Islamist militants on major highways where lorry drivers have been facing ambushes and arson attacks.
In a rare acknowledgement of the seriousness of the situation affecting the landlocked country, Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga said the authorities were trying to improve security on the routes.
The blockade - a potentially serious escalation of Mali's long-running jihadist insurgency - is particularly affecting the supply of fuel, which could cripple the country.
The Sahel region of West Africa is known as the epicentre of global terrorism, accounting for more than 50% of all terrorism-related deaths.
Several analysts say the aim of the al-Qaeda-linked militants is to impose a blockade of the capital, Bamako.
