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Mali has suspended educational facilities and universities throughout the country due to a critical energy crisis resulting from a blockade on fuel imports imposed by jihadist fighters.

The Education Minister stated on national broadcast that all learning centers would remain closed until November 9th, explaining that the movement of staff and pupils had been affected by the restrictions.

He stated that the administration were “making every effort” to alleviate the crisis so that academic sessions could restart on November 10th.

For weeks, the nation has been grappling with a energy deficit, notably in the capital Bamako, after armed groups from an al-Qaeda-linked organization initiated a blockade by attacking tankers on key routes.

The country is landlocked, so all energy resources are brought in by truck from bordering countries such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Long queues have been forming around petrol stations in the main city in the past few weeks, and the city's usually crowded streets have now reportedly become deserted.

The ruling military council had earlier this month assured citizens that it was only a temporary issue, but the crisis has endured.

Recently, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako stated that non-essential diplomatic staff and their families would evacuate the country amid the intensifying energy crisis and growing protection worries.

It explained that the petroleum supply issues had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.

The West African nation is presently governed by a armed forces administration led by General Goïta, who took control in a military overthrow in two years ago.

The ruling council had popular support when it took power, committing to address the long-running security crisis triggered by a autonomy movement in the north by the Tuareg population, which was then hijacked by extremist groups.

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

Both have withdrawn since the new administration came in, and the current administration has contracted Russian mercenaries to tackle the insecurity.

However, the jihadist insurgency has endured and significant areas of the northern and eastern zones of the nation remain outside government control.