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The landlocked West African country has temporarily halted educational facilities and colleges throughout the country due to a severe fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on fuel imports enforced by Islamist insurgents.

The Education Minister declared on state television that all education institutions would be inactive until 9 November, noting that the transportation of staff and learners had been impacted by the restrictions.

He asserted that the authorities were “making every effort” to end the situation so that classes could continue on November 10th.

For several weeks, the nation has been experiencing a fuel shortage, particularly in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a embargo by attacking tankers on major highways.

The country is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are transported by truck from adjacent nations such as Senegal and the neighboring nation.

Long queues have been forming around fuel outlets in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly fallen quiet.

The ruling military council had earlier this month reassured the public that it was only a passing concern, but the crisis has endured.

In the past few days, the American diplomatic mission in the capital announced that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would depart the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and escalating security concerns.

It noted that the petroleum supply issues had disrupted the power distribution and had the “capacity to affect” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

The West African nation is presently governed by a army council led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who took control in a military overthrow in recently.

The military government had public backing when it assumed control, committing to address the long-running security crisis caused by a independence uprising in the north by Tuareg communities, which was then hijacked by jihadist fighters.

The international UN troops and France's military had been sent in a decade ago to address the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have departed since the military assumed power, and the ruling council has hired private military contractors to address the violence.

However, the jihadist insurgency has continued and large parts of the north and east of the nation remain not under administrative command.