Mali Suspends Schools and Higher Education Centers as Islamist Militant Restrictions Exacerbates Petrol Emergency

Long queues at petrol stations in Mali
Lengthy queues have been appearing around fuel pumps in recent weeks

The landlocked West African country has suspended educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a severe fuel scarcity resulting from a restriction on energy resources enforced by jihadist fighters.

Minister of Education stated on state television that all learning centers would stay shut until November 9th, noting that the movement of staff and pupils had been affected by the blockade.

He emphasized that the administration were “working tirelessly” to end the emergency so that academic sessions could continue on the tenth of November.

For several weeks, Mali has been experiencing a energy deficit, especially in the administrative center, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda-linked organization initiated a blockade by attacking fuel trucks on key routes.

Mali is without coastal access, so all energy resources are brought in by truck from bordering countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Extended lines have been winding around fuel outlets in the capital in the last several days, and the city's usually crowded streets have now allegedly grown silent.

The military government had previously assured the public that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has continued.

In the past few days, the US Embassy in Bamako announced that secondary diplomatic employees and their relatives would depart Mali amid the worsening petrol scarcity and escalating safety issues.

It noted that the energy interruptions had impacted the energy availability and had the “potential to disrupt” the broader protection environment in unexpected forms.

Mali is currently ruled by a army council led by the military leader, who seized power in a takeover in two years ago.

The junta had public backing when it came to authority, promising to tackle the long-running security crisis triggered by a autonomy movement in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.

The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been stationed in 2013 to deal with the growing rebellion.

The international troops have departed since the military assumed power, and the military government has contracted foreign fighters to tackle the instability.

However, the militant uprising has persisted and extensive regions of the north and east of the country remain not under administrative command.

Amy Becker
Amy Becker

A geopolitical analyst with over a decade of experience covering European and Middle Eastern affairs, based in Berlin.