🔗 Share this article The West African nation Closes Educational Institutions and Universities as Jihadist Blockade Exacerbates Fuel Shortage Extended queues have been forming around fuel pumps in the last few days The landlocked West African country has suspended schools and universities across the nation due to a severe fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on energy resources enforced by militant groups. Minister of Education stated on public media that all academic facilities would stay shut until 9 November, clarifying that the travel of staff and students had been impacted by the blockade. He stated that the administration were “working tirelessly” to resolve the emergency so that academic sessions could continue on November 10th. For a number of weeks, Mali has been experiencing a energy deficit, especially in the administrative center, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a restriction by striking tankers on major highways. Mali is surrounded by land, so all energy resources are transported by road from bordering countries such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire. Lengthy waits have been snaking around gas pumps in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now apparently grown silent. The junta-led administration had earlier this month assured the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has persisted. Recently, the American diplomatic mission in the capital stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would depart Mali amid the worsening fuel shortage and escalating safety issues. It explained that the fuel disruptions had disrupted the power distribution and had the “capacity to affect” the overall security situation in unpredictable ways. Mali is presently governed by a armed forces administration under the leadership of Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a coup in 2021. The junta had public backing when it assumed control, promising to tackle the ongoing instability caused by a separatist rebellion in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then hijacked by extremist groups. The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been sent in a decade ago to combat the growing rebellion. Both have left since the junta took over, and the current administration has hired private military contractors to address the insecurity. However, the Islamist rebellion has continued and significant areas of the northern and eastern territories of the nation remain not under administrative command.