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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted schools and universities across the nation due to a critical petrol shortage caused by a restriction on energy resources implemented by militant groups.

Minister of Education stated on public media that all learning centers would be inactive until November 9th, noting that the movement of employees and learners had been affected by the restrictions.

He emphasized that the government officials were “doing everything possible” to end the crisis so that educational activities could restart on the tenth of November.

For several weeks, the nation has been grappling with a fuel shortage, particularly in the capital Bamako, after militants from an al-Qaeda-linked organization initiated a embargo by targeting transport vehicles on major highways.

Mali is landlocked, so all petroleum products are brought in by land routes from neighboring states such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Extended lines have been winding around fuel outlets in the main city in the last several days, and the city's usually crowded streets have now allegedly fallen quiet.

The junta-led administration had earlier this month reassured citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the emergency has persisted.

In the past few days, the US Embassy in the capital declared that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would depart the country amid the worsening petrol scarcity and growing protection worries.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the “ability to disturb” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.

Mali is currently ruled by a armed forces administration headed by Gen Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a military overthrow in 2021.

The junta had widespread approval when it assumed control, committing to address the ongoing instability caused by a independence uprising in the northern region by the Tuareg population, which was then taken over by Islamist militants.

The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been stationed in a decade ago to deal with the escalating insurgency.

Both have left since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has contracted Russian mercenaries to address the insecurity.

Nevertheless, the militant uprising has continued and extensive regions of the northern and eastern zones of the nation remain outside government control.