The West African nation Shuts Down Schools and Universities as Jihadist Restrictions Worsens Fuel Emergency
The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and higher learning institutions across the nation due to a acute fuel scarcity resulting from a restriction on fuel imports implemented by jihadist fighters.
Top education official announced on state television that all learning centers would remain closed until 9 November, explaining that the travel of personnel and pupils had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.
He emphasized that the authorities were “making every effort” to end the situation so that educational activities could continue on November 10th.
For weeks, Mali has been facing a petrol crisis, particularly in the administrative center, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a blockade by attacking fuel trucks on major highways.
Mali is without coastal access, so all energy resources are transported by truck from adjacent nations such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.
Long queues have been forming around fuel outlets in Bamako in the past few weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now apparently become deserted.
The military government had earlier this month assured residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has continued.
Last week, the American diplomatic mission in the capital announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would evacuate Mali amid the deteriorating petrol scarcity and increasing safety issues.
It explained that the energy interruptions had impacted the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unpredictable ways.
The West African nation is now led by a military junta under the leadership of Gen Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a takeover in two years ago.
The ruling council had widespread approval when it took power, committing to address the long-running security crisis caused by a separatist rebellion in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.
The international UN troops and French forces had been stationed in a decade ago to address the escalating insurgency.
These forces have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the current administration has contracted Russian mercenaries to combat the insecurity.
However, the militant uprising has persisted and significant areas of the north and east of the state remain not under administrative command.
