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Mali has temporarily halted educational facilities and universities across the nation due to a critical fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on fuel imports imposed by Islamist insurgents.

The Education Minister declared on national broadcast that all academic facilities would stay shut until 9 November, explaining that the movement of personnel and students had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He asserted that the authorities were “doing everything possible” to end the crisis so that educational activities could continue on 10 November.

For a number of weeks, the nation has been facing a petrol crisis, notably in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda affiliate initiated a restriction by attacking tankers on major highways.

Mali is without coastal access, so all fuel supplies are delivered by truck from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Côte d'Ivoire.

Extended lines have been winding around petrol stations in the capital in the past few weeks, and the city's normally bustling streets have now reportedly grown silent.

The military government had earlier this month promised the public that it was only a short-term problem, but the situation has persisted.

Last week, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their dependents would leave Mali amid the intensifying petrol scarcity and increasing protection worries.

It explained that the energy interruptions had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “capacity to affect” the overall security situation in unexpected forms.

Mali is presently governed by a army council led by the military leader, who seized power in a takeover in 2021.

The ruling council had popular support when it came to authority, committing to tackle the protracted safety emergency triggered by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by jihadist fighters.

The international UN troops and European soldiers had been stationed in 2013 to deal with the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have departed since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has hired private military contractors to address the violence.

Nevertheless, the militant uprising has persisted and large parts of the northern and eastern territories of the nation remain not under administrative command.