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Mali has temporarily halted schools and higher learning institutions across the nation due to a acute energy crisis triggered by a blockade on energy resources implemented by jihadist fighters.

The Education Minister declared on public media that all education institutions would be inactive until 9 November, clarifying that the transportation of staff and students had been affected by the blockade.

He stated that the government officials were “making every effort” to end the emergency so that educational activities could continue on November 10th.

For several weeks, Mali has been facing a energy deficit, especially in the main city, after insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked organization enforced a restriction by attacking transport vehicles on major highways.

Mali is without coastal access, so all fuel supplies are transported by road from adjacent nations such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

Long queues have been forming around fuel outlets in the main city in recent weeks, and the city's typically busy streets have now apparently become deserted.

The junta-led administration had previously assured residents that it was only a short-term problem, but the emergency has continued.

In the past few days, the American diplomatic mission in Bamako stated that non-essential diplomatic staff and their relatives would depart Mali amid the worsening petrol scarcity and increasing security concerns.

It said that the petroleum supply issues had impacted the supply of electricity and had the “ability to disturb” the overall security situation in unexpected forms.

Mali is currently ruled by a armed forces administration headed by the military leader, who assumed authority in a coup in recently.

The ruling council had widespread approval when it assumed control, promising to tackle the long-running security crisis caused by a autonomy movement in the northern region by Tuareg communities, which was then hijacked by extremist groups.

The UN peacekeeping mission and European soldiers had been sent in 2013 to combat the increasing militant activity.

The international troops have departed since the military assumed power, and the ruling council has contracted Russian mercenaries to combat the violence.

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