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Mali has temporarily halted schools and higher learning institutions throughout the country due to a critical petrol shortage caused by a embargo on petroleum supplies enforced by militant groups.

Minister of Education declared on state television that all education institutions would remain closed until the ninth of November, noting that the travel of employees and students had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He emphasized that the authorities were “working tirelessly” to end the crisis so that classes could restart on November 10th.

For several weeks, the nation has been grappling with a fuel shortage, especially in the capital Bamako, after insurgents from an jihadist network enforced a embargo by attacking transport vehicles on major highways.

The country is surrounded by land, so all energy resources are delivered by road from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Extended lines have been winding around gas pumps in the main city in the past few weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had in recent days assured citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has continued.

Last week, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako stated that non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents would leave the country amid the deteriorating fuel shortage and escalating security concerns.

It noted that the petroleum supply issues had affected the supply of electricity and had the “potential to disrupt” the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.

Mali is now led by a armed forces administration under the leadership of General Goïta, who took control in a coup in two years ago.

The ruling council had popular support when it took power, committing to address the long-running security crisis triggered by a autonomy movement in the northern territories by Tuareg communities, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.

The UN peacekeeping mission and France's military had been stationed in previously to address the growing rebellion.

The international troops have departed since the new administration came in, and the ruling council has contracted private military contractors to combat the insecurity.

However, the jihadist insurgency has persisted and extensive regions of the northern and eastern zones of the country remain not under administrative command.