Coming from Selibaby, there isn't much until Melgue, and there there is only a friendly douanier. Coming from Kankossa, there isn't even that, you can't do your papers until Kayes. And if there is now a military post somewhere, there are multiple pistes going to Kayes, so they could easily be circumpassed.
Police escort from Kayes, that was going the N1 over Diema then. Better going the southerly route over Kita, to stay far away from Wagadou forest (where Aqim were setting up a base last year).

edit: there is a now more active military post exiting Melgue. They may require escort.

We passed Keyes one day after the kidnapping of the french guy. We drove the Kiffa-Keyes route.

We would suggest to take Mali from Senegal, and dont drive up to Keyes.

On my Blog i collect the links to other travelers - one of them also drive around of Mali.

The risk is definitively there, but the situation isn't new... Avoid the direct Route from Keyes to Bamako, and also try to avoid Keyes...

Surfy