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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted schools and colleges throughout the country due to a severe fuel scarcity resulting from a blockade on petroleum supplies enforced by jihadist fighters.

Minister of Education stated on public media that all learning centers would remain closed until 9 November, explaining that the movement of employees and students had been impacted by the imposed limitations.

He stated that the administration were “working tirelessly” to end the situation so that academic sessions could continue on November 10th.

For several weeks, the nation has been experiencing a petrol crisis, particularly in the administrative center, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization initiated a blockade by targeting fuel trucks on key routes.

The country is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are transported by truck from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire.

Extended lines have been winding around petrol stations in the capital in the last several days, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly fallen quiet.

The junta-led administration had earlier this month promised the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the situation has persisted.

Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would evacuate Mali amid the worsening fuel shortage and escalating safety issues.

It noted that the energy interruptions had disrupted the power distribution and had the “potential to disrupt” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a army council under the leadership of the military leader, who assumed authority in a military overthrow in two years ago.

The military government had widespread approval when it took power, vowing to deal with the protracted safety emergency triggered by a independence uprising in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by extremist groups.

The UN peacekeeping mission and French forces had been sent in 2013 to address the growing rebellion.

The international troops have withdrawn since the junta took over, and the ruling council has hired Russian mercenaries to address the violence.

Nevertheless, the Islamist rebellion has continued and large parts of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain outside government control.