The West African nation Shuts Down Schools and Universities as Islamist Militant Blockade Intensifies Fuel Crisis

Long queues at petrol stations in Mali
Prolonged queues have been snaking around fuel pumps in the past few weeks

Mali has suspended educational facilities and higher learning institutions across the nation due to a severe petrol shortage triggered by a embargo on fuel imports implemented by militant groups.

The Education Minister stated on public media that all learning centers would stay shut until November 9th, noting that the transportation of employees and students had been impacted by the imposed limitations.

He stated that the administration were “working tirelessly” to resolve the situation so that educational activities could resume on the tenth of November.

For a number of weeks, the nation has been experiencing a petrol crisis, especially in the administrative center, after armed groups from an jihadist network enforced a restriction by targeting fuel trucks on key routes.

The country is without coastal access, so all energy resources are brought in by land routes from bordering countries such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Lengthy waits have been forming around fuel outlets in Bamako in the past few weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly become deserted.

The military government had in recent days promised citizens that it was only a passing concern, but the emergency has endured.

In the past few days, the US Embassy in Bamako declared that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would leave the country amid the deteriorating fuel shortage and escalating safety issues.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had impacted the energy availability and had the “potential to disrupt” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a military junta led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a coup in two years ago.

The military government had public backing when it assumed control, vowing to address the long-running security crisis prompted by a autonomy movement in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and French forces had been stationed in a decade ago to deal with the increasing militant activity.

Both have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the military government has employed foreign fighters to combat the violence.

Nevertheless, the militant uprising has endured and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain outside government control.

Tammy Walker
Tammy Walker

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