Mali: Fuel Crisis Forces Military Junta To Suspend Schools And Universities Nationwide

Mali’s military junta has suspended schools and universities across the country due to a severe fuel shortage caused by a blockade on fuel imports imposed by Islamist insurgents, the BBC has reported, citing the country’s Minister for Education, Amadou Sy Savane.

In a televised address, the minister announced that all educational institutions would remain closed until 9 November, noting that the movement of staff and students had been disrupted by the blockade.

He added that the authorities were “doing everything possible” to resolve the crisis so that classes could resume on 10 November.

In a separate statement, the Interministerial Committee for Crisis and Disaster Management said that restrictions would be placed on fuel supplies until “further notice,” with priority given at designated stations to emergency, assistance, and public transport vehicles.

For weeks, Mali has faced a worsening fuel shortage, particularly in the capital, Bamako, after militants affiliated with al-Qaeda imposed a blockade by attacking fuel tankers on major highways.

As a landlocked nation, Mali depends entirely on road transport for fuel imports from neighbouring countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Long queues have formed at petrol stations in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city’s usually bustling streets have reportedly fallen quiet.

Earlier this month, the military government had assured residents that the situation was temporary, but the crisis has persisted.

Last week, the U.S. Embassy in Bamako announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their families would leave Mali amid the worsening fuel shortage and escalating security concerns.

The embassy said the disruptions had affected electricity supply and had the “potential to disrupt the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.”

Mali is currently ruled by a military junta led by Gen. Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a 2021 coup.

The junta initially enjoyed popular support, having promised to resolve the long-running security crisis triggered by a separatist rebellion in the north led by ethnic Tuaregs, which was later hijacked by Islamist militants.

The UN peacekeeping mission and French forces, deployed in 2013 to combat the insurgency, have since withdrawn following the junta’s takeover. In their place, the military government has enlisted Russian mercenaries to help tackle insecurity.

However, the jihadist insurgency has persisted, and large parts of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.