BAMAKO, October 27 – The government of Mali has temporarily closed all schools and universities nationwide as the country grapples with a worsening fuel shortage triggered by a militant blockade.
Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane announced on state television that classes would be suspended for two weeks, citing transport challenges caused by the ongoing fuel crisis.
“Due to disruptions in fuel supplies that are affecting the movement of school staff, classes are suspended for two weeks,” the minister said, adding that the government is working to restore normal supplies before November 10.
The scarcity follows a blockade imposed by al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) militants, who in early September banned the import of fuel from neighboring countries into Mali. The move has left hundreds of fuel trucks stranded at the borders, choking supplies to the capital, Bamako, and crippling the economy.
In the capital, long queues have formed at gas stations, while rising fuel prices have pushed up the cost of transport and basic commodities.
Mali alongside Burkina Faso and Niger has faced years of insurgency from armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Following military coups in all three nations, their juntas expelled French troops and turned to Russian mercenaries for support, though analysts say the security situation remains dire.
The Malian army has tried to escort fuel convoys from border regions to Bamako, but several trucks have been attacked along the route.
The government says it is taking emergency measures to ease the fuel shortage and hopes schools will reopen as planned in mid-November.
