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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and universities throughout the country due to a severe petrol shortage caused by a restriction on fuel imports implemented by Islamist insurgents.

Minister of Education declared on state television that all academic facilities would remain closed until November 9th, noting that the transportation of personnel and students had been impacted by the restrictions.

He asserted that the administration were “working tirelessly” to resolve the crisis so that educational activities could restart on November 10th.

For a number of weeks, the nation has been grappling with a fuel shortage, particularly in the administrative center, after militants from an al-Qaeda-linked organization imposed a embargo by targeting fuel trucks on primary roads.

Mali is landlocked, so all petroleum products are transported by road from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast.

Extended lines have been snaking around petrol stations in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now apparently grown silent.

The military government had earlier this month reassured citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has persisted.

Last week, the US Embassy in the capital declared that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would leave the country amid the worsening energy crisis and growing security concerns.

It said that the energy interruptions had affected the power distribution and had the “ability to disturb” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

Mali is now led by a army council under the leadership of Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a military overthrow in recently.

The junta had widespread approval when it assumed control, vowing to deal with the long-running security crisis triggered by a independence uprising in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by jihadist fighters.

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

The international troops have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the current administration has employed private military contractors to address the instability.

Nevertheless, the jihadist insurgency has endured and large parts of the northern and eastern territories of the country remain not under administrative command.