The land-locked West African nation of Mali is facing a severe crisis as the al-Qaeda-linked group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) enforces a fuel-import blockade. The shortage has forced nationwide school closures, snarled transport and pushed up prices across the country.
Since early September, JNIM has banned fuel imports from neighbouring countries such as Senegal and the Ivory Coast and attacked convoys entering Mali, leaving hundreds of tankers stranded at the border, according to an AP report.
The blockade not only underlines the group’s operational reach but is also a deliberate attempt to weaken the legitimacy of Mali’s military-led government by choking the economy and disrupting daily life.
As per AP, the fuel shortage has rippled into every corner of Malian life. With trucks unable to deliver petrol and diesel, gas stations in the capital, Bamako, saw long queues and many stations closed.
In response, the Education Minister announced a two-week nationwide closure of schools and universities because staff could not commute without fuel. A country already ranked among the world’s least developed, Mali is now grappling with soaring commodity prices and deepening poverty as the squeeze tightens.
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