The West African nation Suspends Educational Institutions and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Blockade Worsens Fuel Crisis

Mali has closed educational facilities and higher learning institutions across the nation due to a critical fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on energy resources imposed by jihadist fighters.

Top education official declared on public media that all academic facilities would be inactive until November 9th, explaining that the movement of employees and students had been affected by the restrictions.

He stated that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to alleviate the emergency so that academic sessions could restart on November 10th.

For several weeks, the nation has been facing a fuel shortage, particularly in the main city, after armed groups from an jihadist network initiated a blockade by striking fuel trucks on major highways.

Mali is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are delivered by road from bordering countries such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Lengthy waits have been forming around fuel outlets in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had in recent days assured the public that it was only a short-term problem, but the crisis has continued.

Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako announced that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would leave the country amid the deteriorating energy crisis and escalating safety issues.

It noted that the fuel disruptions had disrupted the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a military junta led by General Goïta, who seized power in a coup in recently.

The junta had public backing when it assumed control, promising to address the ongoing instability prompted by a separatist rebellion in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.

The UN peacekeeping mission and French forces had been deployed in a decade ago to combat the escalating insurgency.

The international troops have left since the junta took over, and the current administration has employed Russian mercenaries to tackle the insecurity.

Nevertheless, the militant uprising has persisted and extensive regions of the north and east of the state remain outside government control.