The West African nation Closes Schools and Universities as Jihadist Blockade Intensifies Petrol Shortage

Long queues at petrol stations in Mali
Prolonged queues have been forming around gas stations in the last few days

Mali has suspended educational facilities and higher learning institutions throughout the country due to a critical fuel scarcity resulting from a embargo on energy resources imposed by jihadist fighters.

The Education Minister declared on state television that all education institutions would remain closed until November 9th, explaining that the movement of staff and students had been impacted by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the authorities were “making every effort” to end the emergency so that educational activities could continue on the tenth of November.

For several weeks, the nation has been grappling with a energy deficit, notably in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a restriction by striking transport vehicles on major highways.

Mali is without coastal access, so all energy resources are brought in by land routes from neighboring states such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Lengthy waits have been forming around petrol stations in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now apparently become deserted.

The military government had previously promised the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has persisted.

Last week, the US Embassy in the capital announced that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would evacuate the country amid the intensifying fuel shortage and growing security concerns.

It said that the fuel disruptions had disrupted the supply of electricity and had the “capacity to affect” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

Mali is presently governed by a armed forces administration under the leadership of the military leader, who took control in a coup in two years ago.

The military government had widespread approval when it came to authority, committing to deal with the protracted safety emergency triggered by a separatist rebellion in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and French forces had been stationed in a decade ago to address the escalating insurgency.

Both have departed since the junta took over, and the ruling council has employed private military contractors to address the instability.

However, the jihadist insurgency has continued and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain not under administrative command.

David Walker
David Walker

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on society.