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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and universities countrywide due to a critical fuel scarcity triggered by a restriction on energy resources implemented by militant groups.

The Education Minister stated on public media that all education institutions would stay shut until 9 November, noting that the travel of employees and pupils had been affected by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the authorities were “making every effort” to resolve the emergency so that academic sessions could restart on November 10th.

For several weeks, Mali has been grappling with a petrol crisis, particularly in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a embargo by targeting fuel trucks on major highways.

Mali is without coastal access, so all energy resources are brought in by truck from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Long queues have been snaking around gas pumps in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now apparently become deserted.

The ruling military council had previously promised residents that it was only a passing concern, but the emergency has continued.

Recently, the United States diplomatic office in Bamako declared that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would leave Mali amid the deteriorating energy crisis and increasing safety issues.

It said that the fuel disruptions had disrupted the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unpredictable ways.

Mali is currently ruled by a army council headed by Gen Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a coup in two years ago.

The ruling council had widespread approval when it assumed control, vowing to deal with the ongoing instability triggered by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been stationed in 2013 to address the increasing militant activity.

These forces have left since the military assumed power, and the ruling council has employed foreign fighters to tackle the instability.

Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and large parts of the northern and eastern territories of the state remain not under administrative command.