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The landlocked West African country has closed educational facilities and higher learning institutions across the nation due to a severe petrol shortage resulting from a restriction on energy resources implemented by militant groups.

Top education official declared on public media that all education institutions would remain closed until the ninth of November, noting that the transportation of personnel and pupils had been disrupted by the imposed limitations.

He stated that the government officials were “doing everything possible” to alleviate the situation so that classes could continue on 10 November.

For weeks, Mali has been grappling with a fuel shortage, particularly in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a restriction by attacking fuel trucks on major highways.

The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are brought in by truck from bordering countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Extended lines have been snaking around petrol stations in Bamako in the last several days, and the city's normally bustling streets have now allegedly fallen quiet.

The ruling military council had in recent days reassured citizens that it was only a passing concern, but the situation has endured.

Recently, the US Embassy in Bamako stated that secondary diplomatic employees and their families would depart Mali amid the intensifying petrol scarcity and growing safety issues.

It explained that the petroleum supply issues had disrupted the energy availability and had the “potential to disrupt” the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a army council led by the military leader, who took control in a military overthrow in recently.

The ruling council had public backing when it came to authority, committing to address the long-running security crisis triggered by a separatist rebellion in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by extremist groups.

The United Nations stabilization force and France's military had been stationed in previously to deal with the increasing militant activity.

Both have departed since the junta took over, and the military government has contracted Russian mercenaries to combat the instability.

However, the Islamist rebellion has continued and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the state remain not under administrative command.