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The landlocked West African country has closed educational facilities and universities throughout the country due to a critical petrol shortage caused by a blockade on petroleum supplies implemented by militant groups.

Minister of Education declared on state television that all education institutions would remain closed until the ninth of November, explaining that the movement of employees and learners had been disrupted by the blockade.

He asserted that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to resolve the situation so that classes could restart on 10 November.

For several weeks, the nation has been facing a energy deficit, notably in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization imposed a embargo by attacking tankers on key routes.

Mali is surrounded by land, so all energy resources are delivered by road from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Long queues have been forming around gas pumps in the capital in the last several days, and the city's usually crowded streets have now allegedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had previously promised citizens that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has persisted.

Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would depart Mali amid the deteriorating energy crisis and growing protection worries.

It noted that the petroleum supply issues had disrupted the energy availability and had the “capacity to affect” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

Mali is presently governed by a army council led by General Goïta, who assumed authority in a coup in two years ago.

The ruling council had widespread approval when it came to authority, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis triggered by a separatist rebellion in the northern region by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and French forces had been sent in previously to address the increasing militant activity.

These forces have withdrawn since the junta took over, and the ruling council has employed private military contractors to tackle the insecurity.

Nevertheless, the Islamist rebellion has persisted and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the nation remain not under administrative command.