Mali Suspends Educational Institutions and Higher Education Centers as Jihadist Blockade Intensifies Fuel Crisis
The landlocked West African country has closed schools and universities across the nation due to a severe energy crisis triggered by a embargo on energy resources implemented by Islamist insurgents.
Minister of Education announced on state television that all education institutions would stay shut until November 9th, clarifying that the transportation of personnel and pupils had been impacted by the imposed limitations.
He emphasized that the authorities were “doing everything possible” to resolve the crisis so that classes could resume on 10 November.
For several weeks, Mali has been experiencing a fuel shortage, notably in the main city, after armed groups from an jihadist network initiated a blockade by attacking fuel trucks on primary roads.
The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are delivered by land routes from adjacent nations such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.
Extended lines have been winding around petrol stations in Bamako in the past few weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now apparently fallen quiet.
The ruling military council had earlier this month reassured residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the crisis has persisted.
In the past few days, the US Embassy in the capital announced that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would depart the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and increasing safety issues.
It noted that the petroleum supply issues had affected the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.
Mali is currently ruled by a military junta led by General Goïta, who took control in a military overthrow in recently.
The ruling council had widespread approval when it assumed control, committing to tackle the protracted safety emergency prompted by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by extremist groups.
The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been sent in previously to address the escalating insurgency.
The international troops have departed since the military assumed power, and the military government has employed Russian mercenaries to tackle the violence.
Nonetheless, the jihadist insurgency has endured and extensive regions of the northern and eastern territories of the state remain beyond state authority.
