Mali Closes Schools and Universities as Jihadist Restrictions Intensifies Petrol Crisis
The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and universities countrywide due to a critical energy crisis caused by a embargo on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.
Minister of Education announced on national broadcast that all academic facilities would be inactive until November 9th, clarifying that the movement of staff and learners had been disrupted by the restrictions.
He asserted that the authorities were “working tirelessly” to resolve the crisis so that classes could resume on November 10th.
For a number of weeks, Mali has been grappling with a fuel shortage, notably in the main city, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a embargo by striking tankers on major highways.
The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are delivered by truck from neighboring states such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.
Long queues have been snaking around gas pumps in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now apparently fallen quiet.
The military government had earlier this month assured citizens that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has persisted.
Recently, the US Embassy in the capital announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents would depart the country amid the intensifying petrol scarcity and increasing security concerns.
It noted that the energy interruptions had affected the supply of electricity and had the “capacity to affect” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.
Mali is now led by a military junta led by the military leader, who assumed authority in a takeover in 2021.
The ruling council had widespread approval when it took power, promising to address the ongoing instability caused by a independence uprising in the northern region by the Tuareg population, which was then taken over by jihadist fighters.
The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been deployed in previously to deal with the escalating insurgency.
These forces have withdrawn since the military assumed power, and the current administration has employed private military contractors to tackle the instability.
However, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and significant areas of the north and east of the state remain not under administrative command.
