Mali’s foreign ministry on Monday announced the transitional government has given 72 hours’ time to Hamidou Boly, a special envoy from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to leave the country over actions described as incompatible with his status, reported Reuters.
“The government of the Republic of Mali has decided to declare the ECOWAS special representative in Mali persona non grata, in view of his actions that are incompatible with his status,” a government statement broadcast on state television said.
Mali Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told the state broadcaster that Boly was found engaged with groups, individuals from civil society, from the world of politics and even from the world of the press, who undertake actions hostile to the transition and which are not in line with his mission.
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who chairs the bloc, visited Mali’s capital Bamako earlier this month to push for elections to be held on time.
The West Africa’s main political and economic bloc has been pressing Mali’s interim government to respect its commitment to have presidential and legislative elections next February following last year’s military coup. The 15-nation regional bloc has threatened to impose sanctions against Mali if elections are not conducted by February.
On Sunday, A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation said that Mali’s interim authorities have agreed to confirm a date for post-coup elections after national reform consultations in December. The ruling junta said it needs more time to prepare the transition. The first round of legislative and presidential elections for restoring constitutional order is currently been scheduled for February 27, 2022.
Mali’s transition government came into power following the overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020. The process was dealt a setback in May this year when the colonel who led the initial coup, Assimi Goita, ordered the arrest of the interim president and then took over the role himself.
