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Mali has temporarily halted educational facilities and colleges across the nation due to a critical energy crisis caused by a embargo on fuel imports implemented by jihadist fighters.

The Education Minister announced on national broadcast that all learning centers would be inactive until the ninth of November, explaining that the travel of staff and pupils had been disrupted by the blockade.

He emphasized that the government officials were “doing everything possible” to end the situation so that educational activities could continue on the tenth of November.

For weeks, Mali has been grappling with a petrol crisis, especially in the administrative center, after armed groups from an jihadist network enforced a restriction by targeting tankers on major highways.

The country is surrounded by land, so all fuel supplies are brought in by land routes from neighboring states such as its western neighbor and the neighboring nation.

Extended lines have been winding around petrol stations in the capital in the last several days, and the city's typically busy streets have now allegedly fallen quiet.

The military government had in recent days promised residents that it was only a passing concern, but the crisis has persisted.

Recently, the American diplomatic mission in the capital announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would depart Mali amid the deteriorating energy crisis and increasing protection worries.

It explained that the petroleum supply issues had disrupted the energy availability and had the “capacity to affect” the general safety conditions in unexpected forms.

Mali is currently ruled by a army council headed by Gen Assimi Goïta, who assumed authority in a takeover in 2021.

The junta had popular support when it took power, vowing to address the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north by Tuareg communities, which was then taken over by extremist groups.

The United Nations stabilization force and European soldiers had been sent in previously to combat the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have left since the new administration came in, and the military government has hired private military contractors to combat the insecurity.

Nonetheless, the Islamist rebellion has endured and significant areas of the north and east of the state remain beyond state authority.