Mali Shuts Down Schools and Higher Education Centers as Jihadist Blockade Intensifies Petrol Shortage

Mali has suspended schools and colleges across the nation due to a acute energy crisis resulting from a blockade on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.

Minister of Education declared on national broadcast that all academic facilities would remain closed until 9 November, explaining that the transportation of employees and pupils had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He asserted that the authorities were “making every effort” to end the situation so that educational activities could restart on 10 November.

For several weeks, Mali has been facing a energy deficit, notably in the administrative center, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization initiated a restriction by striking transport vehicles on primary roads.

The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are delivered by road from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Long queues have been winding around gas pumps in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now apparently become deserted.

The military government had in recent days promised the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the emergency has persisted.

Last week, the United States diplomatic office in Bamako announced that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would depart Mali amid the deteriorating energy crisis and escalating protection worries.

It said that the fuel disruptions had affected the power distribution and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a military junta under the leadership of the military leader, who seized power in a military overthrow in 2021.

The military government had public backing when it came to authority, vowing to deal with the protracted safety emergency caused by a independence uprising in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been deployed in a decade ago to deal with the escalating insurgency.

The international troops have left since the junta took over, and the ruling council has employed Russian mercenaries to combat the instability.

However, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and large parts of the northern and eastern territories of the state remain outside government control.