France is advising French nationals to temporarily leave Mali "as soon as possible," as the capital Bamako and many regions of the country are gradually being suffocated by a jihadist blockade, according to a travel advisory posted Friday by the French Foreign Ministry.

"For several weeks, the security situation has been deteriorating in Mali, including in Bamako," the note emphasizes. "French nationals are advised to plan a temporary departure from Mali as soon as possible on the commercial flights still available," it adds, specifying that "travel by land remains inadvisable, as national roads are currently the target of attacks by terrorist groups."

The ministry also reiterates that "it remains formally advised against going to Mali, whatever the reason".

When questioned by AFP, he was not immediately able to say whether the instruction also applies to embassy staff.

On Thursday, ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux stressed that France was following "with great attention and with real concern" the deteriorating security situation in Mali, where jihadist violence has intensified in recent days.

For the time being, "the diplomatic arrangements remain unchanged, with the French embassy open, headed by a chargé d'affaires who is notably responsible for the consular protection of our 4,300 nationals registered on the consular list," he stated. "Their safety is a priority," he emphasized.

Since 2012, Mali has faced a deep security crisis, fueled in particular by the violence of jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM, affiliated with Al-Qaeda) and the Islamic State (IS) organization, as well as community criminal groups.

And for several weeks, JNIM jihadists have been imposing a blockade on fuel imports as far as Bamako, strangling the economy of the landlocked Sahelian country.

Last week, the United States and the United Kingdom announced the evacuation of their "non-essential" staff and their families in the face of the deteriorating situation.