The West African nation Shuts Down Schools and Higher Education Centers as Jihadist Blockade Worsens Petrol Shortage
The landlocked West African country has closed educational facilities and higher learning institutions countrywide due to a critical petrol shortage resulting from a embargo on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.
Top education official declared on public media that all academic facilities would remain closed until 9 November, clarifying that the movement of staff and students had been affected by the imposed limitations.
He stated that the government officials were “doing everything possible” to end the situation so that classes could continue on November 10th.
For weeks, Mali has been grappling with a energy deficit, especially in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda-linked organization imposed a restriction by attacking fuel trucks on major highways.
Mali is surrounded by land, so all energy resources are transported by road from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast.
Long queues have been forming around petrol stations in the capital in recent weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly grown silent.
The junta-led administration had in recent days assured the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has endured.
Recently, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would evacuate Mali amid the deteriorating fuel shortage and growing safety issues.
It explained that the energy interruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the “capacity to affect” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.
The West African nation is currently ruled by a military junta led by the military leader, who assumed authority in a military overthrow in recently.
The ruling council had public backing when it assumed control, promising to address the protracted safety emergency prompted by a autonomy movement in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.
The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been stationed in previously to combat the growing rebellion.
The international troops have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has contracted private military contractors to tackle the insecurity.
However, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and extensive regions of the northern and eastern zones of the state remain not under administrative command.
