WASHINGTON: The United States warned Americans in Mali on Tuesday to leave the country immediately using commercial flights, as its government comes under increasing pressure from Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents, who are imposing a fuel blockade.
Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam wal-Muslimin militants announced a blockade on fuel imports to the landlocked West African country in early September. They have since attacked convoys of fuel tankers attempting to enter the country or reach the capital, Bamako.
The government on Sunday ordered the suspension of school and university classes throughout Mali for two weeks due to the fuel shortage.
“Persistent infrastructure challenges in Mali including continued disruptions of gasoline and diesel supplies, the closure of public institutions such as schools and universities nationwide, and ongoing armed conflict between Malian government and terrorist elements around Bamako increase the unpredictability of Bamako’s security situation,” the US embassy in Mali said in a statement.
Analysts have described the fuel blockade as part of a pressure campaign on Mali’s military-led government by militant groups, who want to cut off the country’s economic oxygen.
