Ofure Akhigbe
The Malian government has ordered the closure of all schools and universities nationwide from Sunday, citing a severe fuel shortage caused by a blockade on fuel imports imposed by jihadi militants.
Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane announced on state television that classes would be suspended for two weeks “due to disruptions in fuel supplies that are affecting the movement of school staff.” The suspension is expected to last until November 10, when authorities hope to restore normal fuel supplies.
The crisis stems from a ban announced in early September by militants from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaida-linked group, prohibiting fuel imports from neighboring countries into Mali. The move has crippled the landlocked country’s fragile economy, leaving hundreds of fuel trucks stranded at the borders.
The blockade has led to long queues at petrol stations in the capital, Bamako, while transport fares and commodity prices have surged. The shortage has also hampered government operations and daily life in a country heavily dependent on imported fuel.
Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, has struggled with a years-long insurgency by Islamist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State, as well as local armed factions. Following military coups in all three nations, their juntas expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenaries for security assistance — a shift analysts say has yielded limited improvement.
The Malian military has attempted to escort stranded fuel trucks from border regions to Bamako. While some convoys reached the capital, others came under militant attack.
Minister Savane assured the public that the government was “doing everything possible” to normalize fuel distribution before the planned reopening of schools on November 10.