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The landlocked West African country has closed educational facilities and colleges across the nation due to a acute fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on petroleum supplies implemented by militant groups.

Minister of Education stated on public media that all education institutions would remain closed until 9 November, explaining that the transportation of personnel and pupils had been disrupted by the blockade.

He stated that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to alleviate the emergency so that classes could restart on the tenth of November.

For a number of weeks, the nation has been experiencing a fuel shortage, especially in the main city, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a restriction by striking tankers on major highways.

Mali is surrounded by land, so all fuel supplies are delivered by land routes from neighboring states such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Long queues have been forming around petrol stations in the capital in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly fallen quiet.

The military government had previously assured citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has continued.

Last week, the US Embassy in the capital declared that non-essential diplomatic staff and their families would depart Mali amid the intensifying petrol scarcity and growing safety issues.

It noted that the energy interruptions had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “potential to disrupt” the broader protection environment in unexpected forms.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a military junta led by General Goïta, who assumed authority in a military overthrow in 2021.

The military government had public backing when it assumed control, promising to address the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the northern region by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been sent in a decade ago to address the growing rebellion.

The international troops have withdrawn since the military assumed power, and the military government has contracted Russian mercenaries to address the insecurity.

Nevertheless, the Islamist rebellion has continued and large parts of the northern and eastern zones of the state remain not under administrative command.