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The landlocked West African country has suspended educational facilities and universities across the nation due to a severe energy crisis caused by a restriction on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.

Top education official announced on national broadcast that all academic facilities would be inactive until November 9th, noting that the travel of employees and students had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the authorities were “doing everything possible” to end the situation so that classes could continue on the tenth of November.

For a number of weeks, the nation has been experiencing a petrol crisis, particularly in the administrative center, after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate enforced a embargo by attacking tankers on major highways.

Mali is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are brought in by road from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire.

Extended lines have been winding around fuel outlets in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now reportedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had in recent days reassured residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the situation has persisted.

In the past few days, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako stated that non-essential diplomatic staff and their families would depart the country amid the worsening energy crisis and escalating protection worries.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the “capacity to affect” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.

The West African nation is now led by a army council under the leadership of the military leader, who assumed authority in a military overthrow in recently.

The junta had popular support when it assumed control, promising to tackle the long-running security crisis triggered by a independence uprising in the northern territories by the Tuareg population, which was then co-opted by extremist groups.

The international UN troops and European soldiers had been deployed in a decade ago to address the increasing militant activity.

These forces have withdrawn since the military assumed power, and the military government has employed Russian mercenaries to combat the violence.

Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has continued and extensive regions of the north and east of the state remain outside government control.