🔗 Share this article Mali Shuts Down Educational Institutions and Universities as Islamist Militant Blockade Exacerbates Fuel Shortage Lengthy queues have been forming around gas stations in the past few weeks Mali has closed educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a critical petrol shortage resulting from a blockade on energy resources enforced by jihadist fighters. Top education official declared on national broadcast that all education institutions would remain closed until the ninth of November, clarifying that the travel of employees and pupils had been disrupted by the imposed limitations. He asserted that the government officials were “making every effort” to end the crisis so that academic sessions could continue on 10 November. For weeks, the nation has been facing a energy deficit, notably in the main city, after militants from an jihadist network initiated a embargo by attacking fuel trucks on major highways. Mali is surrounded by land, so all fuel supplies are delivered by road from bordering countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast. Long queues have been forming around gas pumps in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now apparently grown silent. The military government had previously promised citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the emergency has continued. Recently, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents would leave the country amid the worsening fuel shortage and growing security concerns. It said that the petroleum supply issues had disrupted the power distribution and had the “potential to disrupt” the overall security situation in unexpected forms. Mali is now led by a army council under the leadership of General Goïta, who seized power in a military overthrow in two years ago. The ruling council had widespread approval when it came to authority, committing to tackle the ongoing instability prompted by a separatist rebellion in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by extremist groups. The international UN troops and European soldiers had been stationed in a decade ago to combat the escalating insurgency. These forces have departed since the junta took over, and the military government has hired foreign fighters to address the insecurity. However, the militant uprising has endured and large parts of the northern and eastern territories of the nation remain beyond state authority.