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The landlocked West African country has suspended educational facilities and universities countrywide due to a acute fuel scarcity triggered by a blockade on energy resources implemented by Islamist insurgents.

Minister of Education stated on public media that all education institutions would remain closed until 9 November, explaining that the travel of personnel and students had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the authorities were “doing everything possible” to resolve the situation so that educational activities could restart on November 10th.

For weeks, Mali has been facing a petrol crisis, especially in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate enforced a embargo by targeting tankers on key routes.

The country is without coastal access, so all fuel supplies are transported by road from bordering countries such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Extended lines have been forming around petrol stations in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now apparently become deserted.

The ruling military council had previously promised the public that it was only a passing concern, but the crisis has endured.

Recently, the United States diplomatic office in Bamako declared that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would leave Mali amid the intensifying petrol scarcity and increasing safety issues.

It said that the petroleum supply issues had affected the power distribution and had the “ability to disturb” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.

The West African nation is presently governed by a army council led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a takeover in recently.

The junta had popular support when it assumed control, vowing to deal with the protracted safety emergency prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.

The UN peacekeeping mission and French forces had been stationed in a decade ago to address the growing rebellion.

These forces have withdrawn since the junta took over, and the military government has hired foreign fighters to combat the insecurity.

However, the Islamist rebellion has continued and significant areas of the northern and eastern territories of the country remain not under administrative command.