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The landlocked West African country has suspended educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a critical petrol shortage triggered by a blockade on fuel imports implemented by militant groups.

The Education Minister declared on public media that all learning centers would be inactive until November 9th, noting that the movement of employees and learners had been impacted by the restrictions.

He emphasized that the administration were “making every effort” to resolve the emergency so that classes could continue on November 10th.

For weeks, Mali has been experiencing a fuel shortage, especially in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate enforced a embargo by targeting transport vehicles on primary roads.

The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are transported by road from adjacent nations such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire.

Long queues have been snaking around gas pumps in the capital in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now reportedly fallen quiet.

The junta-led administration had in recent days reassured residents that it was only a temporary issue, but the situation has endured.

In the past few days, the United States diplomatic office in the capital declared that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would evacuate Mali amid the intensifying fuel shortage and escalating security concerns.

It noted that the fuel disruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unpredictable ways.

Mali is now led by a army council under the leadership of the military leader, who seized power in a coup in 2021.

The junta had widespread approval when it took power, promising to deal with the ongoing instability triggered by a autonomy movement in the north by Tuareg communities, which was then co-opted by Islamist militants.

The United Nations stabilization force and French forces had been sent in 2013 to deal with the escalating insurgency.

Both have left since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has contracted Russian mercenaries to address the instability.

Nevertheless, the militant uprising has continued and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain outside government control.