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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and colleges countrywide due to a critical petrol shortage caused by a blockade on petroleum supplies enforced by jihadist fighters.

The Education Minister declared on public media that all education institutions would remain closed until November 9th, clarifying that the transportation of employees and pupils had been impacted by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the authorities were “working tirelessly” to resolve the emergency so that educational activities could continue on the tenth of November.

For weeks, the nation has been facing a petrol crisis, particularly in the administrative center, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a blockade by targeting transport vehicles on key routes.

The country is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are delivered by road from neighboring states such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Extended lines have been winding around gas pumps in Bamako in the past few weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly become deserted.

The junta-led administration had in recent days reassured citizens that it was only a short-term problem, but the situation has persisted.

Last week, the US Embassy in the capital declared that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would evacuate Mali amid the deteriorating energy crisis and growing protection worries.

It said that the energy interruptions had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the overall security situation in unforeseen manners.

Mali is currently ruled by a army council under the leadership of the military leader, who took control in a takeover in recently.

The military government had popular support when it assumed control, committing to address the protracted safety emergency caused by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then co-opted by Islamist militants.

The UN peacekeeping mission and French forces had been sent in previously to combat the increasing militant activity.

These forces have withdrawn since the junta took over, and the current administration has hired foreign fighters to tackle the instability.

Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has endured and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the nation remain outside government control.