Mali Closes Schools and Higher Education Centers as Jihadist Blockade Intensifies Fuel Shortage

Long queues at petrol stations in Mali
Extended queues have been appearing around fuel pumps in the last few days

The landlocked West African country has suspended educational facilities and colleges countrywide due to a acute petrol shortage resulting from a embargo on petroleum supplies enforced by jihadist fighters.

Minister of Education declared on national broadcast that all learning centers would be inactive until 9 November, clarifying that the transportation of personnel and learners had been impacted by the blockade.

He stated that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to end the crisis so that educational activities could resume on the tenth of November.

For several weeks, the nation has been facing a fuel shortage, notably in the administrative center, after insurgents from an jihadist network enforced a blockade by attacking tankers on major highways.

The country is surrounded by land, so all fuel supplies are transported by land routes from adjacent nations such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast.

Lengthy waits have been winding around petrol stations in Bamako in the last several days, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly fallen quiet.

The ruling military council had in recent days reassured the public that it was only a passing concern, but the emergency has continued.

Last week, the US Embassy in the capital declared that non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents would evacuate the country amid the intensifying fuel shortage and escalating security concerns.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “capacity to affect” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.

Mali is currently ruled by a armed forces administration led by the military leader, who took control in a military overthrow in 2021.

The junta had widespread approval when it assumed control, committing to tackle the ongoing instability caused by a independence uprising in the northern region by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by Islamist militants.

The UN peacekeeping mission and France's military had been sent in previously to deal with the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have departed since the military assumed power, and the ruling council has employed private military contractors to tackle the violence.

Nonetheless, the jihadist insurgency has continued and extensive regions of the northern and eastern territories of the nation remain not under administrative command.

Candice Phillips
Candice Phillips

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