Mali Suspends Schools for Two Weeks Due to Fuel Shortage Amidst Jihadist Blockade

Nationwide School Suspension

• 🏫 Classes in schools and universities across Mali will be suspended for two weeks, from October 27th to November 9th, 2025.
• 🗓️ This decision comes as a direct result of a severe fuel shortage affecting the nation.

Jihadist Blockade and Fuel Shortage

• ⛽ Since September, JNIM jihadists have imposed a blockade on key roads, preventing fuel imports from neighboring Senegal and Ivory Coast.
• 💥 The group, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has been actively attacking fuel trucks, disrupting the supply chain.
• ⚠️ The fuel shortage, initially confined to rural areas, has now reached the capital, impacting daily life and businesses.

Economic and Logistical Impacts

• 📉 Businesses reliant on fuel have come to a standstill, with serious economic consequences.
• ⛽ The National Office for Petroleum Products has warned that the national security stockpile of fuel is now exhausted.
• 🚗 Fuel supplies for citizens are restricted, with priority given to emergency services and public transport.

Security Situation and Terrorist Attacks

• 📈 Since ending collaboration with foreign military forces in 2021, Mali has seen a surge in terrorist attacks.
• 🗺️ Jihadist groups have reclaimed large territories, with 130 attacks on the road network recorded in 2025, a tenfold increase from 2021.