Authorities said schools and universities are closed for two weeks starting Monday, October 27, citing disrupted transport for staff and students. The closures follow an al-Qaida-linked group’s September order halting fuel shipments from neighboring states.

Blockade And Supply Routes

Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) announced in early September a ban on importing gasoline and diesel from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania “until further notice.” The move aimed to pressure the military-led government of the landlocked country.

In mid-September, militants attacked a convoy of more than 100 vehicles under escort, destroying at least 40 fuel tankers. Authorities later held back additional tankers to prevent further ambushes, including about 70 trucks bound for a western gold mine.

Government Measures And Timeline

On Tuesday evening prior to October 8, a fuel convoy arrived from Côte d’Ivoire, allowing many stations in Bamako to reopen the next day. Still, by October 27, the education minister extended a two-week nationwide academic shutdown, targeting a restart on November 10.

Officials formed a disaster-management committee to secure resupply, while escorts attempt to bring stranded trucks from border zones to the capital. “If the state can find a solution to this problem, that would be good,” one motorcyclist said.

Urban Impact And Prices

Endless queues stretched across Bamako as some branded outlets shuttered and others rationed to motorcycles. Shortages have lifted transport fares and commodity prices, residents said, compounding pressure on households already hit by insecurity.

Insurgents hijacked a northern rebellion in 2012; military coups followed in 2020 and 2021. Neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger face similar threats, and the three states have reoriented external security partnerships in recent years.