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Mali has shuttered schools and universities across the nation from today onwards due to fuel shortages triggered by jihadist militants blocking fuel imports to the capital. Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane revealed on state television Sunday that lessons would be halted for a fortnight "due to disruptions in fuel supplies that are affecting the movement of school staff." Extremists from the al-Qaida-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin organisation declared a prohibition on fuel imports from neighbouring nations into Mali in early September, strangling the landlocked nation's vulnerable economy and leaving hundreds of fuel lorries stuck at the frontier. Mali, alongside neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, has confronted an uprising by armed factions, including some aligned with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group as well as local insurgents. Following military takeovers in all three countries in recent years, they have ejected French troops and sought assistance from Russia's mercenary forces, which experts say has made scant impact. In Mali's capital, Bamako, never-ending queues have formed outside petrol stations and the fuel shortage has impacted commodity prices and transport costs. For a nation dependent on fuel imports for domestic requirements, the embargo represents a major blow to Mali's military leadership. The junta justified its forcible seizure of power in 2020 as an essential move to halt decades of security turmoil. The Malian military tried to guide fuel lorries from frontier regions to Bamako. Whilst some lorries made it through, others fell victim to militant attacks. On Sunday, the education minister declared that officials were "doing everything possible" to get fuel supplies back to normal before schools reopen on Nov. 10. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .
