Mali Closes Educational Institutions and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Blockade Intensifies Fuel Shortage
The landlocked West African country has closed educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a critical energy crisis resulting from a embargo on energy resources imposed by jihadist fighters.
Top education official declared on state television that all learning centers would stay shut until 9 November, noting that the transportation of employees and students had been impacted by the imposed limitations.
He stated that the authorities were “working tirelessly” to resolve the situation so that educational activities could continue on the tenth of November.
For a number of weeks, Mali has been facing a fuel shortage, particularly in the capital Bamako, after militants from an al-Qaeda-linked organization imposed a embargo by attacking tankers on key routes.
The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are transported by land routes from bordering countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.
Long queues have been winding around fuel outlets in the capital in the last several days, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly become deserted.
The ruling military council had previously reassured the public that it was only a passing concern, but the emergency has persisted.
In the past few days, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako declared that secondary diplomatic employees and their relatives would leave the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and escalating safety issues.
It said that the petroleum supply issues had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the overall security situation in unexpected forms.
Mali is currently ruled by a armed forces administration under the leadership of the military leader, who seized power in a coup in two years ago.
The ruling council had popular support when it took power, vowing to tackle the long-running security crisis prompted by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then hijacked by extremist groups.
The United Nations stabilization force and French forces had been sent in previously to address the escalating insurgency.
Both have departed since the junta took over, and the military government has employed foreign fighters to tackle the insecurity.
Nevertheless, the militant uprising has endured and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the nation remain not under administrative command.