Mali Shuts Down Schools and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Blockade Worsens Petrol Shortage
Mali has temporarily halted educational facilities and higher learning institutions countrywide due to a critical energy crisis triggered by a restriction on petroleum supplies imposed by jihadist fighters.
The Education Minister stated on state television that all academic facilities would remain closed until November 9th, noting that the movement of staff and students had been affected by the blockade.
He emphasized that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to resolve the crisis so that academic sessions could restart on November 10th.
For several weeks, Mali has been experiencing a energy deficit, notably in the main city, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a restriction by attacking fuel trucks on key routes.
The country is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are transported by land routes from adjacent nations such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire.
Long queues have been snaking around fuel outlets in the capital in the last several days, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly fallen quiet.
The ruling military council had earlier this month reassured the public that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has persisted.
Recently, the American diplomatic mission in the capital announced that secondary diplomatic employees and their relatives would depart Mali amid the deteriorating fuel shortage and increasing protection worries.
It noted that the fuel disruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the “capacity to affect” the overall security situation in unforeseen manners.
The West African nation is presently governed by a military junta headed by the military leader, who seized power in a takeover in recently.
The ruling council had popular support when it came to authority, committing to address the long-running security crisis triggered by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.
The United Nations stabilization force and France's military had been sent in previously to combat the increasing militant activity.
These forces have left since the military assumed power, and the ruling council has employed private military contractors to combat the instability.
Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and significant areas of the northern and eastern territories of the country remain beyond state authority.
