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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a acute fuel scarcity resulting from a restriction on fuel imports implemented by jihadist fighters.

The Education Minister stated on state television that all education institutions would remain closed until November 9th, explaining that the movement of personnel and pupils had been disrupted by the restrictions.

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

For several weeks, the nation has been facing a energy deficit, especially in the administrative center, after insurgents from an jihadist network initiated a blockade by striking fuel trucks on key routes.

Mali is without coastal access, so all petroleum products are delivered by truck from adjacent nations such as Senegal and the neighboring nation.

Lengthy waits have been forming around fuel outlets in the main city in the last several days, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly fallen quiet.

The junta-led administration had previously reassured citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the situation has continued.

Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako declared that non-critical embassy personnel and their families would depart the country amid the deteriorating energy crisis and growing safety issues.

It explained that the energy interruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the “ability to disturb” the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a military junta led by the military leader, who took control in a takeover in two years ago.

The ruling council had popular support when it took power, committing to tackle the protracted safety emergency caused by a independence uprising in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then taken over by extremist groups.

The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been sent in previously to combat the growing rebellion.

These forces have left since the military assumed power, and the military government has contracted Russian mercenaries to tackle the violence.

Nevertheless, the Islamist rebellion has endured and large parts of the north and east of the country remain not under administrative command.