The Mali Government has given the ECOWAS Special Representative in Bamako, Hamidou Boly, 72 hours to leave Mali for “acts incompatible with his status.”
ECOWAS has suspended Mali’s membership over two military coups within one year and insists the military-cum-civilian transition government in Bamako must organise elections in February 2022 to hand over power to elected civilians.
The Mali government says an ongoing national consultation which ends in December will determine the handover date.
ECOWAS has yet to react to the expulsion of Boly, a Burkinabe national.
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But an official of the Mali transition government has told the media that Boly’s expulsion has nothing to do with ECOWAS’ decision.
He accused him of “alleged destabilisation against the transition,” including contacts with civil society groups and political parties with the aim of destabilising the transition.
The official said the Mali government had informed the ECOWAS Commission about the activities of its Representative “several months ago.”
