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The landlocked West African country has closed educational facilities and universities throughout the country due to a critical energy crisis resulting from a blockade on fuel imports enforced by Islamist insurgents.

Minister of Education stated on state television that all education institutions would remain closed until November 9th, explaining that the transportation of personnel and learners had been affected by the blockade.

He asserted that the government officials were “making every effort” to resolve the crisis so that educational activities could resume on 10 November.

For a number of weeks, the nation has been experiencing a petrol crisis, notably in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an jihadist network initiated a restriction by striking transport vehicles on key routes.

The country is without coastal access, so all petroleum products are transported by road from bordering countries such as Senegal and the neighboring nation.

Lengthy waits have been forming around fuel outlets in the capital in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly become deserted.

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

In the past few days, the United States diplomatic office in the capital declared that non-critical embassy personnel and their relatives would leave Mali amid the worsening energy crisis and escalating safety issues.

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

Mali is presently governed by a army council led by General Goïta, who assumed authority in a coup in two years ago.

The ruling council had public backing when it assumed control, vowing to tackle the ongoing instability triggered by a independence uprising in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and France's military had been sent in 2013 to address the increasing militant activity.

These forces have left since the military assumed power, and the current administration has contracted Russian mercenaries to address the insecurity.

However, the Islamist rebellion has continued and large parts of the northern and eastern territories of the country remain beyond state authority.