🔗 Share this article The West African nation Suspends Educational Institutions and Higher Education Centers as Jihadist Blockade Worsens Fuel Emergency Lengthy queues have been snaking around fuel pumps in the last few days Mali has closed educational facilities and universities across the nation due to a severe energy crisis resulting from a blockade on fuel imports implemented by militant groups. Minister of Education declared on public media that all academic facilities would be inactive until November 9th, noting that the travel of staff and students had been impacted by the blockade. He asserted that the administration were “making every effort” to end the situation so that classes could restart on November 10th. For a number of weeks, Mali has been facing a energy deficit, notably in the main city, after insurgents from an jihadist network imposed a embargo by attacking tankers on major highways. The country is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are delivered by truck from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast. Lengthy waits have been snaking around fuel outlets in the main city in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now reportedly become deserted. The military government had previously assured the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the situation has endured. Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would evacuate the country amid the intensifying petrol scarcity and increasing safety issues. It explained that the fuel disruptions had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “potential to disrupt” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners. The West African nation is now led by a military junta headed by Gen Assimi Goïta, who took control in a military overthrow in two years ago. The ruling council had public backing when it took power, promising to deal with the protracted safety emergency prompted by a independence uprising in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then taken over by Islamist militants. The international UN troops and European soldiers had been deployed in 2013 to deal with the increasing militant activity. These forces have left since the military assumed power, and the military government has employed Russian mercenaries to tackle the insecurity. However, the militant uprising has persisted and large parts of the northern and eastern territories of the country remain outside government control.