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Mali has temporarily halted schools and universities throughout the country due to a critical energy crisis triggered by a embargo on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.

Minister of Education announced on state television that all academic facilities would remain closed until November 9th, clarifying that the transportation of personnel and learners had been disrupted by the restrictions.

He asserted that the administration were “doing everything possible” to end the crisis so that educational activities could restart on the tenth of November.

For several weeks, the nation has been facing a fuel shortage, especially in the administrative center, after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate enforced a embargo by targeting transport vehicles on primary roads.

Mali is landlocked, so all energy resources are transported by road from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Long queues have been winding around petrol stations in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly fallen quiet.

The junta-led administration had previously promised the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the emergency has persisted.

In the past few days, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that non-essential diplomatic staff and their families would depart the country amid the worsening petrol scarcity and escalating safety issues.

It noted that the petroleum supply issues had impacted the energy availability and had the “potential to disrupt” the general safety conditions in unforeseen manners.

Mali is currently ruled by a military junta headed by General Goïta, who seized power in a military overthrow in two years ago.

The ruling council had widespread approval when it took power, committing to tackle the long-running security crisis triggered by a independence uprising in the northern region by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.

The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been sent in 2013 to address the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have departed since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has employed Russian mercenaries to address the violence.

Nonetheless, the militant uprising has endured and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain not under administrative command.