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Mali has temporarily halted schools and colleges throughout the country due to a critical petrol shortage caused by a blockade on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.

Minister of Education announced on state television that all education institutions would remain closed until 9 November, explaining that the movement of staff and pupils had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He asserted that the authorities were “working tirelessly” to resolve the crisis so that academic sessions could continue on November 10th.

For a number of weeks, Mali has been grappling with a petrol crisis, particularly in the main city, after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a restriction by targeting fuel trucks on key routes.

The country is surrounded by land, so all petroleum products are transported by land routes from neighboring states such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Long queues have been winding around petrol stations in Bamako in recent weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had in recent days promised residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has continued.

Recently, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would evacuate the country amid the worsening petrol scarcity and growing safety issues.

It said that the fuel disruptions had impacted the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the broader protection environment in unpredictable ways.

The West African nation is now led by a military junta headed by the military leader, who assumed authority in a military overthrow in recently.

The ruling council had widespread approval when it assumed control, promising to tackle the ongoing instability prompted by a independence uprising in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then co-opted by jihadist fighters.

The United Nations stabilization force and France's military had been stationed in a decade ago to address the escalating insurgency.

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

Nevertheless, the militant uprising has continued and extensive regions of the north and east of the nation remain outside government control.