The military government of Mali on Sunday said the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission’s human rights division Guillaume Ngefa-Atondoko Andali had 48 hours to exit the country.
In a statement, it said Andali had been declared persona non grata due to his alleged biased choice of civil society witnesses for U.N. Security Council briefings on Mali, the most recent of which was held on January 27.
Neither Andali nor the U.N. mission in Mali MINUSMA has responded to the order.
The Malian authorities have been criticised for alleged human rights violations reportedly perpetrated by its armed forces in partnership with the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group in the country.
On January 31, U.N. experts requested an independent inquiry into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by both these forces.
The Malian government, which seized power in a 2021 military coup, released a statement that rejected some of the U.N. allegations and emphasised the authorities’ commitment to respecting human rights in accordance with national and international rules of engagement.
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