The West African nation Shuts Down Schools and Universities as Jihadist Blockade Exacerbates Petrol Crisis
The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a acute fuel scarcity resulting from a blockade on energy resources implemented by jihadist fighters.
The Education Minister announced on state television that all academic facilities would be inactive until November 9th, noting that the movement of employees and pupils had been disrupted by the restrictions.
He asserted that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to resolve the crisis so that educational activities could continue on 10 November.
For several weeks, Mali has been facing a energy deficit, particularly in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization enforced a blockade by striking tankers on key routes.
The country is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are transported by road from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast.
Lengthy waits have been winding around fuel outlets in the main city in the past few weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now reportedly become deserted.
The military government had in recent days reassured residents that it was only a passing concern, but the crisis has persisted.
In the past few days, the United States diplomatic office in Bamako stated that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would leave Mali amid the deteriorating fuel shortage and growing security concerns.
It noted that the fuel disruptions had affected the energy availability and had the “capacity to affect” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.
The West African nation is presently governed by a army council led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a takeover in 2021.
The junta had popular support when it took power, promising to tackle the ongoing instability triggered by a independence uprising in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.
The UN peacekeeping mission and French forces had been stationed in previously to combat the growing rebellion.
The international troops have left since the junta took over, and the current administration has hired foreign fighters to address the insecurity.
Nevertheless, the militant uprising has persisted and significant areas of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.
