🔗 Share this article

Mali has closed schools and universities across the nation due to a critical fuel scarcity caused by a restriction on energy resources imposed by jihadist fighters.

Top education official declared on public media that all academic facilities would be inactive until November 9th, noting that the transportation of staff and students had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He asserted that the authorities were “making every effort” to end the crisis so that classes could resume on November 10th.

For weeks, the nation has been grappling with a energy deficit, particularly in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a blockade by attacking tankers on primary roads.

Mali is landlocked, so all petroleum products are brought in by land routes from adjacent nations such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire.

Long queues have been snaking around gas pumps in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly grown silent.

The junta-led administration had earlier this month assured residents that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has persisted.

In the past few days, the United States diplomatic office in the capital announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents would evacuate the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and growing safety issues.

It noted that the fuel disruptions had impacted the energy availability and had the “capacity to affect” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a military junta headed by General Goïta, who took control in a military overthrow in two years ago.

The junta had public backing when it came to authority, committing to address the protracted safety emergency triggered by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and French forces had been sent in 2013 to combat the increasing militant activity.

Both have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the military government has hired foreign fighters to address the violence.

Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has endured and extensive regions of the north and east of the nation remain not under administrative command.