Mali Suspends Educational Institutions and Universities as Islamist Militant Blockade Intensifies Petrol Shortage
Mali has closed educational facilities and universities throughout the country due to a critical fuel scarcity resulting from a blockade on energy resources imposed by militant groups.
Top education official announced on public media that all learning centers would stay shut until the ninth of November, noting that the travel of staff and learners had been affected by the restrictions.
He stated that the government officials were “making every effort” to alleviate the situation so that classes could resume on November 10th.
For weeks, Mali has been experiencing a petrol crisis, notably in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an jihadist network initiated a restriction by striking tankers on major highways.
The country is surrounded by land, so all fuel supplies are delivered by road from adjacent nations such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.
Lengthy waits have been forming around fuel outlets in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly become deserted.
The ruling military council had in recent days promised residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the crisis has continued.
In the past few days, the American diplomatic mission in the capital announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their families would evacuate the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and growing security concerns.
It noted that the petroleum supply issues had affected the power distribution and had the “capacity to affect” the overall security situation in unexpected forms.
Mali is presently governed by a military junta led by the military leader, who assumed authority in a takeover in 2021.
The junta had widespread approval when it came to authority, promising to address the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.
The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been stationed in previously to address the increasing militant activity.
The international troops have departed since the new administration came in, and the military government has contracted foreign fighters to tackle the insecurity.
Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and significant areas of the north and east of the state remain not under administrative command.
