🔗 Share this article The West African nation Closes Educational Institutions and Universities as Jihadist Restrictions Intensifies Fuel Shortage Lengthy lines have been snaking around fuel pumps in the past few weeks Mali has temporarily halted schools and universities countrywide due to a severe fuel scarcity triggered by a restriction on petroleum supplies enforced by Islamist insurgents. Top education official declared on public media that all education institutions would stay shut until the ninth of November, explaining that the travel of staff and students had been impacted by the restrictions. He asserted that the authorities were “doing everything possible” to resolve the crisis so that academic sessions could restart on November 10th. For weeks, Mali has been experiencing a energy deficit, especially in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a embargo by targeting fuel trucks on key routes. The country is surrounded by land, so all fuel supplies are delivered by road from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire. Long queues have been forming around fuel outlets in the capital in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now apparently fallen quiet. The junta-led administration had in recent days assured residents that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has persisted. In the past few days, the United States diplomatic office in the capital announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would evacuate the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and escalating security concerns. It said that the fuel disruptions had disrupted the energy availability and had the “capacity to affect” the overall security situation in unforeseen manners. The West African nation is currently ruled by a armed forces administration headed by the military leader, who seized power in a military overthrow in two years ago. The junta had public backing when it assumed control, committing to tackle the protracted safety emergency triggered by a independence uprising in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by jihadist fighters. The United Nations stabilization force and France's military had been sent in previously to deal with the growing rebellion. The international troops have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has contracted Russian mercenaries to tackle the violence. Nonetheless, the jihadist insurgency has persisted and large parts of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain not under administrative command.