The West African nation Shuts Down Schools and Universities as Jihadist Blockade Exacerbates Petrol Shortage
Mali has closed schools and higher learning institutions throughout the country due to a acute fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on petroleum supplies imposed by jihadist fighters.
Top education official stated on public media that all academic facilities would remain closed until the ninth of November, clarifying that the transportation of personnel and pupils had been affected by the imposed limitations.
He stated that the government officials were “making every effort” to resolve the crisis so that educational activities could restart on November 10th.
For a number of weeks, Mali has been experiencing a energy deficit, particularly in the main city, after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate initiated a blockade by attacking fuel trucks on major highways.
The country is without coastal access, so all energy resources are delivered by land routes from adjacent nations such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast.
Extended lines have been snaking around petrol stations in the main city in the past few weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly become deserted.
The military government had previously assured residents that it was only a temporary issue, but the emergency has endured.
Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako declared that non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents would depart the country amid the worsening fuel shortage and growing security concerns.
It noted that the energy interruptions had affected the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.
Mali is currently ruled by a armed forces administration led by General Goïta, who seized power in a takeover in recently.
The ruling council had public backing when it came to authority, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis caused by a independence uprising in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then taken over by Islamist militants.
The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been sent in previously to deal with the increasing militant activity.
These forces have left since the new administration came in, and the military government has hired private military contractors to address the instability.
Nonetheless, the jihadist insurgency has endured and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain beyond state authority.