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Mali has suspended schools and colleges countrywide due to a critical energy crisis resulting from a embargo on petroleum supplies imposed by jihadist fighters.

Minister of Education declared on public media that all learning centers would remain closed until 9 November, explaining that the movement of staff and students had been disrupted by the blockade.

He emphasized that the administration were “doing everything possible” to end the emergency so that academic sessions could restart on November 10th.

For weeks, the nation has been experiencing a petrol crisis, particularly in the main city, after armed groups from an jihadist network enforced a blockade by attacking tankers on major highways.

Mali is without coastal access, so all petroleum products are brought in by land routes from bordering countries such as its western neighbor and Ivory Coast.

Long queues have been forming around petrol stations in the main city in the last several days, and the city's normally bustling streets have now reportedly fallen quiet.

The ruling military council had earlier this month assured the public that it was only a temporary issue, but the situation has persisted.

Recently, the United States diplomatic office in Bamako declared that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would depart Mali amid the worsening fuel shortage and increasing safety issues.

It said that the petroleum supply issues had affected the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.

The West African nation is currently ruled by a army council headed by the military leader, who assumed authority in a takeover in 2021.

The junta had public backing when it came to authority, promising to deal with the ongoing instability caused by a separatist rebellion in the northern territories by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then taken over by jihadist fighters.

The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been stationed in 2013 to deal with the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have departed since the new administration came in, and the current administration has contracted foreign fighters to combat the insecurity.

However, the Islamist rebellion has continued and extensive regions of the north and east of the state remain beyond state authority.