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The landlocked West African country has suspended schools and universities across the nation due to a acute energy crisis resulting from a blockade on energy resources imposed by Islamist insurgents.

Minister of Education announced on state television that all learning centers would remain closed until November 9th, clarifying that the travel of employees and pupils had been impacted by the blockade.

He stated that the government officials were “working tirelessly” to resolve the crisis so that classes could continue on November 10th.

For several weeks, Mali has been grappling with a fuel shortage, notably in the main city, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization enforced a blockade by striking fuel trucks on major highways.

Mali is without coastal access, so all petroleum products are delivered by truck from neighboring states such as Senegal and the neighboring nation.

Extended lines have been winding around fuel outlets in the capital in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now reportedly become deserted.

The military government had previously reassured residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the crisis has continued.

Recently, the United States diplomatic office in Bamako stated that non-critical embassy personnel and their dependents would depart the country amid the deteriorating energy crisis and growing safety issues.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had impacted the power distribution and had the “capacity to affect” the broader protection environment in unforeseen manners.

Mali is presently governed by a army council led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who took control in a coup in two years ago.

The ruling council had widespread approval when it took power, promising to tackle the ongoing instability caused by a autonomy movement in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then hijacked by extremist groups.

The international UN troops and European soldiers had been sent in previously to combat the escalating insurgency.

These forces have left since the military assumed power, and the ruling council has employed foreign fighters to tackle the instability.

Nevertheless, the jihadist insurgency has endured and large parts of the northern and eastern zones of the state remain not under administrative command.