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The landlocked West African country has closed schools and universities throughout the country due to a severe fuel scarcity caused by a embargo on energy resources implemented by militant groups.

The Education Minister declared on state television that all academic facilities would be inactive until November 9th, explaining that the travel of personnel and learners had been affected by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to alleviate the crisis so that academic sessions could continue on November 10th.

For several weeks, the nation has been experiencing a energy deficit, particularly in the main city, after armed groups from an jihadist network enforced a embargo by striking tankers on key routes.

Mali is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are transported by land routes from neighboring states such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Long queues have been forming around petrol stations in the main city in the last several days, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly become deserted.

The military government had earlier this month reassured residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has continued.

Last week, the United States diplomatic office in the capital stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would evacuate the country amid the deteriorating petrol scarcity and increasing security concerns.

It said that the energy interruptions had disrupted the power distribution and had the “potential to disrupt” the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.

The West African nation is now led by a military junta headed by Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a takeover in two years ago.

The junta had public backing when it assumed control, committing to deal with the protracted safety emergency caused by a independence uprising in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by Islamist militants.

The international UN troops and French forces had been sent in 2013 to combat the growing rebellion.

The international troops have departed since the military assumed power, and the military government has contracted foreign fighters to tackle the insecurity.

However, the militant uprising has persisted and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the nation remain not under administrative command.