The West African nation Suspends Educational Institutions and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Restrictions Intensifies Petrol Emergency
The landlocked West African country has closed schools and higher learning institutions throughout the country due to a critical fuel scarcity caused by a embargo on fuel imports imposed by Islamist insurgents.
The Education Minister declared on state television that all academic facilities would remain closed until November 9th, noting that the transportation of staff and pupils had been disrupted by the restrictions.
He emphasized that the authorities were “working tirelessly” to end the situation so that educational activities could restart on the tenth of November.
For several weeks, the nation has been grappling with a petrol crisis, especially in the administrative center, after militants from an jihadist network imposed a embargo by targeting tankers on primary roads.
Mali is landlocked, so all energy resources are brought in by land routes from neighboring states such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.
Long queues have been snaking around fuel outlets in the capital in the past few weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now allegedly grown silent.
The ruling military council had previously assured residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the crisis has continued.
Last week, the American diplomatic mission in the capital stated that non-critical embassy personnel and their families would leave Mali amid the worsening energy crisis and escalating security concerns.
It explained that the petroleum supply issues had disrupted the power distribution and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.
Mali is currently ruled by a army council led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a takeover in recently.
The junta had public backing when it took power, promising to address the long-running security crisis triggered by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then hijacked by jihadist fighters.
The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been stationed in a decade ago to combat the increasing militant activity.
Both have withdrawn since the military assumed power, and the current administration has contracted Russian mercenaries to tackle the insecurity.
Nonetheless, the jihadist insurgency has endured and large parts of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.
