The West African nation Suspends Educational Institutions and Universities as Islamist Militant Restrictions Exacerbates Petrol Shortage

The landlocked West African country has closed schools and universities across the nation due to a severe petrol shortage caused by a blockade on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.

Top education official announced on state television that all academic facilities would remain closed until November 9th, noting that the travel of employees and learners had been disrupted by the blockade.

He emphasized that the administration were “working tirelessly” to alleviate the situation so that classes could continue on the tenth of November.

For weeks, Mali has been grappling with a energy deficit, especially in the capital Bamako, after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate enforced a embargo by targeting tankers on key routes.

Mali is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are brought in by truck from adjacent nations such as Senegal and the neighboring nation.

Lengthy waits have been winding around petrol stations in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly grown silent.

The ruling military council had previously reassured citizens that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has continued.

Last week, the United States diplomatic office in Bamako declared that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would depart the country amid the intensifying petrol scarcity and increasing security concerns.

It said that the petroleum supply issues had affected the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.

The West African nation is presently governed by a army council under the leadership of Gen Assimi Goïta, who took control in a coup in recently.

The military government had public backing when it came to authority, promising to address the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the northern region by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.

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

These forces have left since the new administration came in, and the military government has contracted foreign fighters to combat the insecurity.

Nonetheless, the jihadist insurgency has persisted and significant areas of the north and east of the nation remain not under administrative command.