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Mali has suspended educational facilities and colleges countrywide due to a acute petrol shortage caused by a restriction on petroleum supplies implemented by militant groups.

Minister of Education stated on public media that all education institutions would remain closed until the ninth of November, clarifying that the travel of employees and students had been disrupted by the restrictions.

He emphasized that the government officials were “making every effort” to end the crisis so that educational activities could restart on November 10th.

For a number of weeks, Mali has been experiencing a fuel shortage, especially in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda-linked organization initiated a embargo by attacking transport vehicles on key routes.

The country is without coastal access, so all petroleum products are transported by truck from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast.

Lengthy waits have been winding around gas pumps in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now apparently become deserted.

The ruling military council had previously promised citizens that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has continued.

Last week, the US Embassy in the capital stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would depart the country amid the worsening fuel shortage and escalating security concerns.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “potential to disrupt” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

Mali is now led by a military junta led by General Goïta, who took control in a takeover in recently.

The junta had public backing when it came to authority, vowing to deal with the long-running security crisis triggered by a autonomy movement in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.

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

These forces have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has contracted Russian mercenaries to tackle the insecurity.

Nonetheless, the militant uprising has continued and significant areas of the north and east of the nation remain beyond state authority.