Mali has taken the drastic step of closing all schools and universities across the country starting Sunday, as a severe fuel scarcity triggered by a blockade on fuel imports by jihadi militants continues to cripple daily life. Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane announced the suspension of classes for two weeks on state television, citing disruptions in fuel supplies that have severely impacted the mobility of school staff. The blockade, imposed by the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group in early September, has left hundreds of fuel trucks stranded at Mali’s borders, exacerbating the landlocked nation’s already fragile economy. The crisis has led to long queues at gas stations in the capital, Bamako, and driven up the prices of essential commodities and transportation. Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has been grappling with an insurgency involving armed groups linked to al-Qaida, the Islamic State, and local rebels. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, French forces have been expelled, and Russian mercenary units have been enlisted for security assistance, though analysts argue this has done little to improve the situation. The Malian military junta, which seized power in 2020, has attempted to escort fuel trucks from border areas to Bamako, but some convoys have been attacked by militants. The education minister assured that authorities are working tirelessly to restore fuel supplies before schools reopen on November 10.