Fuel Scarcity Triggers School Closures in Mali

By Hajara Abadullahi

Schools and universities nationwide in Mali have been suspended for two weeks due to a fuel scarcity triggered by the blockade of its imports by insurgents.

In a TV broadcast on Monday, Minister of Education Amadou Sy Savane said the movement of students and staff had been stalled by the fuel scarcity while announcing the closure. He also added that the authorities are working to ensure that schools reopen on November 10.

Mali is landlocked so fuel is transported by tankers through roads from neighbouring countries ie Senegal and the Ivory Coast.

The once bustling capital Bamako, has been quiet in recent weeks with long queues at petrol stations. The military junta earlier this month had assured citizens that the issue was temporary but it has lingered bringing untold hardship to residents.

Mali alongside neighbouring West African countries, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which are also ruled by the military junta, had established a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States after they announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS in 2024.

The landlocked country is also facing waves of attacks from insurgent groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State who control a large part of the North.