🔗 Share this article Mali Shuts Down Schools and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Blockade Exacerbates Petrol Emergency Extended queues have been snaking around fuel pumps in recent weeks The landlocked West African country has closed schools and higher learning institutions countrywide due to a critical energy crisis triggered by a embargo on energy resources imposed by jihadist fighters. Top education official stated on public media that all academic facilities would remain closed until 9 November, noting that the movement of personnel and students had been impacted by the imposed limitations. He emphasized that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to resolve the situation so that academic sessions could continue on November 10th. For several weeks, the nation has been experiencing a fuel shortage, particularly in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an jihadist network enforced a restriction by targeting fuel trucks on primary roads. The country is landlocked, so all petroleum products are brought in by truck from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation. Long queues have been snaking around fuel outlets in the capital in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly grown silent. The junta-led administration had in recent days promised the public that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has endured. In the past few days, the US Embassy in Bamako announced that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would evacuate Mali amid the deteriorating fuel shortage and escalating safety issues. It noted that the fuel disruptions had affected the supply of electricity and had the “potential to disrupt” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners. The West African nation is now led by a military junta led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a coup in two years ago. The military government had popular support when it came to authority, promising to address the protracted safety emergency triggered by a independence uprising in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then taken over by extremist groups. The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been stationed in a decade ago to address the escalating insurgency. The international troops have departed since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has contracted Russian mercenaries to tackle the instability. However, the jihadist insurgency has endured and large parts of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.