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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted schools and universities across the nation due to a acute fuel scarcity triggered by a embargo on energy resources enforced by jihadist fighters.

Top education official stated on national broadcast that all academic facilities would remain closed until November 9th, noting that the travel of employees and pupils had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the government officials were “doing everything possible” to alleviate the crisis so that academic sessions could continue on the tenth of November.

For several weeks, Mali has been experiencing a petrol crisis, particularly in the main city, after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate enforced a blockade by striking transport vehicles on primary roads.

The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are delivered by truck from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Extended lines have been winding around gas pumps in the capital in recent weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now reportedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had earlier this month promised the public that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has continued.

Recently, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako stated that non-critical embassy personnel and their relatives would depart the country amid the intensifying fuel shortage and growing protection worries.

It noted that the petroleum supply issues had impacted the energy availability and had the “capacity to affect” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.

Mali is currently ruled by a military junta headed by the military leader, who took control in a takeover in 2021.

The military government had public backing when it assumed control, committing to deal with the ongoing instability prompted by a independence uprising in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by jihadist fighters.

The UN peacekeeping mission and France's military had been deployed in 2013 to deal with the growing rebellion.

These forces have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the military government has contracted foreign fighters to tackle the instability.

However, the jihadist insurgency has persisted and large parts of the north and east of the nation remain outside government control.