The West African nation Closes Educational Institutions and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Restrictions Worsens Petrol Emergency
Mali has temporarily halted schools and higher learning institutions throughout the country due to a critical energy crisis triggered by a embargo on fuel imports implemented by Islamist insurgents.
The Education Minister stated on public media that all learning centers would stay shut until November 9th, explaining that the transportation of personnel and learners had been disrupted by the blockade.
He stated that the authorities were “making every effort” to alleviate the situation so that classes could resume on the tenth of November.
For several weeks, the nation has been facing a petrol crisis, especially in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an jihadist network imposed a embargo by striking transport vehicles on primary roads.
The country is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are delivered by road from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.
Extended lines have been snaking around fuel outlets in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now apparently become deserted.
The military government had earlier this month assured citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has persisted.
Last week, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents would leave the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and increasing protection worries.
It noted that the petroleum supply issues had impacted the energy availability and had the “capacity to affect” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.
The West African nation is now led by a army council led by General Goïta, who seized power in a military overthrow in two years ago.
The junta had public backing when it came to authority, promising to address the long-running security crisis triggered by a autonomy movement in the north by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by extremist groups.
The international UN troops and French forces had been deployed in 2013 to address the increasing militant activity.
The international troops have withdrawn since the junta took over, and the current administration has contracted foreign fighters to tackle the violence.
However, the Islamist rebellion has endured and significant areas of the northern and eastern territories of the nation remain not under administrative command.