Mali Closes Educational Institutions and Universities as Jihadist Blockade Exacerbates Fuel Shortage

The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and universities throughout the country due to a critical petrol shortage resulting from a embargo on fuel imports implemented by militant groups.

Top education official stated on public media that all academic facilities would be inactive until the ninth of November, clarifying that the travel of staff and pupils had been impacted by the imposed limitations.

He asserted that the authorities were “making every effort” to resolve the emergency so that classes could restart on November 10th.

For weeks, the nation has been experiencing a fuel shortage, particularly in the capital Bamako, after militants from an al-Qaeda-linked organization enforced a blockade by attacking transport vehicles on primary roads.

The country is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are delivered by road from neighboring states such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Extended lines have been winding around gas pumps in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly become deserted.

The junta-led administration had in recent days assured the public that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has continued.

Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that non-critical embassy personnel and their relatives would depart the country amid the deteriorating petrol scarcity and growing safety issues.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had disrupted the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a army council under the leadership of Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a takeover in two years ago.

The ruling council had public backing when it took power, promising to tackle the long-running security crisis caused by a autonomy movement in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.

The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been deployed in previously to deal with the increasing militant activity.

These forces have withdrawn since the junta took over, and the military government has employed foreign fighters to address the instability.

However, the militant uprising has continued and significant areas of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.