The West African nation Shuts Down Schools and Universities as Islamist Militant Blockade Exacerbates Petrol Crisis
Mali has temporarily halted educational facilities and colleges across the nation due to a critical petrol shortage resulting from a embargo on fuel imports enforced by militant groups.
Minister of Education announced on public media that all education institutions would be inactive until 9 November, clarifying that the transportation of staff and learners had been affected by the restrictions.
He stated that the administration were âworking tirelesslyâ to alleviate the emergency so that academic sessions could restart on 10 November.
For a number of weeks, Mali has been experiencing a energy deficit, especially in the main city, after militants from an al-Qaeda-linked organization enforced a embargo by targeting fuel trucks on primary roads.
The country is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are brought in by land routes from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.
Long queues have been forming around petrol stations in Bamako in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly become deserted.
The ruling military council had earlier this month assured the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has continued.
Last week, the US Embassy in the capital declared that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would evacuate the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and increasing security concerns.
It noted that the fuel disruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the âability to disturbâ the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.
Mali is presently governed by a armed forces administration under the leadership of the military leader, who seized power in a coup in recently.
The military government had popular support when it took power, vowing to address the ongoing instability caused by a autonomy movement in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.
The UN peacekeeping mission and France's military had been deployed in a decade ago to address the growing rebellion.
These forces have withdrawn since the junta took over, and the ruling council has employed Russian mercenaries to combat the insecurity.
Nevertheless, the jihadist insurgency has continued and significant areas of the north and east of the state remain outside government control.