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Mali has closed educational facilities and colleges countrywide due to a critical energy crisis triggered by a restriction on petroleum supplies imposed by militant groups.

Minister of Education announced on national broadcast that all academic facilities would remain closed until November 9th, noting that the movement of personnel and learners had been impacted by the restrictions.

He stated that the government officials were “making every effort” to resolve the emergency so that academic sessions could continue on November 10th.

For several weeks, Mali has been facing a fuel shortage, especially in the main city, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization enforced a embargo by striking transport vehicles on key routes.

The country is without coastal access, so all energy resources are delivered by road from bordering countries such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Lengthy waits have been winding around gas pumps in the capital in the past few weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly grown silent.

The junta-led administration had previously promised citizens that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has endured.

Last week, the United States diplomatic office in the capital announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would leave the country amid the worsening energy crisis and escalating safety issues.

It explained that the fuel disruptions had affected the energy availability and had the “ability to disturb” the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.

Mali is presently governed by a army council headed by General Goïta, who seized power in a military overthrow in 2021.

The junta had public backing when it took power, promising to tackle the long-running security crisis caused by a separatist rebellion in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by extremist groups.

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

The international troops have departed since the junta took over, and the ruling council has hired foreign fighters to address the instability.

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