Mali has suspended classes in schools and universities nationwide due to a severe fuel shortage caused by a blockade on imports imposed by Islamist militants. Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane announced that all educational institutions would remain closed for two weeks, emphasizing that disruptions in fuel supplies had affected the movement of staff and students. Authorities aim to resume classes on November 10.
The crisis intensified after militants from the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) banned fuel imports from neighboring countries in early September. Tankers attempting to reach the capital, Bamako, have been attacked along major highways, leaving hundreds of trucks stranded at borders. As a landlocked country, Mali relies heavily on road deliveries from Senegal, Ivory Coast, and other neighbors, making the blockade a significant economic and logistical challenge.
In Bamako, long queues have formed at gas stations, and some outlets have closed. The shortage has disrupted transportation, limited access to electricity, and affected the prices of basic goods. Residents have been forced to walk, use motorcycle taxis, or stay home, while the military has tried to escort fuel convoys through the city. Some deliveries reached the capital, but others were intercepted by militants.
Mali’s military junta, led by Gen. Assimi Goïta since a 2021 coup, faces ongoing insecurity in the north and east, where much of the country remains outside government control. French forces and a UN peacekeeping mission deployed in 2013 have withdrawn, and the junta has increasingly relied on Russian mercenaries.
In response to the shortages, Mali has secured a deal with Russia to deliver 160,000 to 200,000 metric tons of petroleum and agricultural products. Alexey Keulika, head of a visiting Russian delegation, did not specify the delivery schedule but highlighted plans for broader economic cooperation, including a new Russia-backed gold refinery.
Analysts describe the fuel blockade as a tactic by militants to pressure Mali’s military-led government and disrupt the country’s fragile economy.
