Mali Shuts Down Schools and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Blockade Exacerbates Petrol Crisis

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

Mali has suspended schools and higher learning institutions countrywide due to a severe fuel scarcity caused by a embargo on fuel imports enforced by jihadist fighters.

The Education Minister announced on state television that all learning centers would be inactive until the ninth of November, clarifying that the transportation of personnel and pupils had been affected by the blockade.

He asserted that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to resolve the situation so that academic sessions could continue on 10 November.

For a number of weeks, the nation has been facing a energy deficit, notably in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization initiated a embargo by targeting tankers on major highways.

Mali is surrounded by land, so all energy resources are delivered by land routes from adjacent nations such as Senegal and the neighboring nation.

Long queues have been snaking around petrol stations in the main city in the last several days, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly fallen quiet.

The military government had earlier this month promised the public that it was only a short-term problem, but the situation has endured.

Last week, the United States diplomatic office in the capital stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their relatives would leave Mali amid the worsening fuel shortage and escalating protection worries.

It noted that the energy interruptions had disrupted the power distribution and had the “potential to disrupt” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

Mali is currently ruled by a army council led by the military leader, who seized power in a takeover in two years ago.

The ruling council had public backing when it came to authority, committing to address the protracted safety emergency prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.

The international UN troops and French forces had been stationed in 2013 to deal with the growing rebellion.

These forces have departed since the military assumed power, and the ruling council has contracted Russian mercenaries to combat the insecurity.

Nonetheless, the militant uprising has persisted and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain beyond state authority.

Adam Perry
Adam Perry

A seasoned digital artist and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in UI/UX design and emerging technologies.