Mali Closes Schools and Universities as Islamist Militant Restrictions Worsens Petrol Emergency

Long queues at petrol stations in Mali
Lengthy lines have been appearing around petrol stations in the past few weeks

The landlocked West African country has closed educational facilities and universities across the nation due to a critical energy crisis caused by a blockade on energy resources imposed by Islamist insurgents.

Top education official declared on state television that all learning centers would stay shut until the ninth of November, explaining that the travel of employees and pupils had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He stated that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to end the situation so that academic sessions could continue on the tenth of November.

For several weeks, the nation has been experiencing a energy deficit, especially in the main city, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda-linked organization imposed a restriction by targeting tankers on key routes.

Mali is landlocked, so all energy resources are brought in by road from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Extended lines have been snaking around gas pumps in Bamako in the past few weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now reportedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had in recent days promised residents that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has continued.

Last week, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako declared that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would evacuate the country amid the worsening energy crisis and escalating security concerns.

It said that the energy interruptions had disrupted the supply of electricity and had the “potential to disrupt” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

Mali is currently ruled by a army council under the leadership of the military leader, who took control in a coup in recently.

The junta had popular support when it came to authority, vowing to tackle the protracted safety emergency prompted by a autonomy movement in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then co-opted by Islamist militants.

The UN peacekeeping mission and France's military had been sent in 2013 to deal with the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have departed since the military assumed power, and the current administration has contracted private military contractors to tackle the instability.

Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and large parts of the northern and eastern zones of the nation remain not under administrative command.

Sean Rogers
Sean Rogers

A quantum physicist and tech writer passionate about making complex computational concepts accessible to a broader audience.

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