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Senegal’s livestock markets are facing a shortage of sheep just days before Tabaski, as insecurity in neighbouring Mali disrupts a key supply route and pushes prices sharply higher. Traders say the crisis has slowed the movement of animals into Senegal, leaving many buyers unable to afford sheep for one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar.
Sellers and buyers say the difference from last year is already clear, with far fewer animals available in the market. Djiby Sow, a trader who recently returned from Mali, said armed groups have blocked roads and prevented vehicles from entering or leaving.
Prices are rising earlier than usual this year. Mamadou Mademba Seck, a buyer, said costs are already climbing even though Tabaski is still several days away, whereas last year the increase came only at the last minute.
Sheep that previously sold for around 150,000 CFA francs are now being offered for about 250,000 CFA francs. Many households say that level is now out of reach, adding pressure to a religious celebration that often carries heavy spending demands.
The disruption is tied to a wider crisis in Mali, where a jihadist blockade around Bamako has hit transport, livestock deliveries and holiday travel. Since late April, fighters linked to Al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch have targeted routes into the capital, burning buses and freight trucks and raising the cost of moving sheep.
Transporters say the cost of moving one animal has risen from about 2,500 to 2,750 CFA francs to between 15,000 and 18,000 CFA francs. That has intensified shortages and lifted prices in Bamako as well, while families also face power cuts and water shortages.
