Mali Shuts Down Schools and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Blockade Exacerbates Fuel Emergency
The landlocked West African country has suspended educational facilities and universities across the nation due to a critical energy crisis resulting from a blockade on fuel imports implemented by militant groups.
The Education Minister stated on public media that all learning centers would remain closed until November 9th, explaining that the transportation of employees and pupils had been disrupted by the blockade.
He stated that the administration were “doing everything possible” to resolve the situation so that educational activities could restart on November 10th.
For weeks, the nation has been facing a petrol crisis, notably in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate initiated a embargo by targeting transport vehicles on major highways.
The country is surrounded by land, so all energy resources are delivered by road from adjacent nations such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire.
Extended lines have been snaking around petrol stations in Bamako in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now reportedly fallen quiet.
The ruling military council had earlier this month assured citizens that it was only a passing concern, but the emergency has persisted.
Recently, the American diplomatic mission in the capital stated that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would leave Mali amid the worsening fuel shortage and growing security concerns.
It said that the fuel disruptions had impacted the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the overall security situation in unexpected forms.
The West African nation is presently governed by a military junta led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a military overthrow in 2021.
The junta had popular support when it took power, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis prompted by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.
The United Nations stabilization force and France's military had been sent in 2013 to deal with the increasing militant activity.
The international troops have left since the military assumed power, and the current administration has employed foreign fighters to combat the insecurity.
Nevertheless, the Islamist rebellion has endured and large parts of the northern and eastern zones of the state remain beyond state authority.
