The West African nation Shuts Down Schools and Higher Education Centers as Jihadist Blockade Intensifies Petrol Shortage

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

The landlocked West African country has suspended educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a critical petrol shortage caused by a restriction on petroleum supplies implemented by jihadist fighters.

Top education official announced on national broadcast that all learning centers would be inactive until the ninth of November, noting that the movement of employees and students had been affected by the imposed limitations.

He asserted that the government officials were “doing everything possible” to alleviate the crisis so that educational activities could continue on 10 November.

For weeks, Mali has been experiencing a petrol crisis, particularly in the administrative center, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate initiated a restriction by striking tankers on major highways.

Mali is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are brought in by road from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Long queues have been snaking around petrol stations in Bamako in the last several days, and the city's usually crowded streets have now allegedly grown silent.

The military government had earlier this month reassured the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the situation has persisted.

Last week, the American diplomatic mission in the capital stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would leave the country amid the worsening petrol scarcity and escalating safety issues.

It noted that the energy interruptions had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.

Mali is currently ruled by a military junta under the leadership of General Goïta, who took control in a military overthrow in recently.

The military government had public backing when it came to authority, committing to tackle the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.

The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been deployed in a decade ago to address the increasing militant activity.

These forces have departed since the junta took over, and the military government has hired foreign fighters to address the violence.

Nonetheless, the militant uprising has endured and extensive regions of the northern and eastern zones of the state remain outside government control.

Cathy Rodriguez
Cathy Rodriguez

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