UN human rights chief expelled in Mali

• The director of the UN human rights section in Mali has been expelled.
• Guillaume Ngefa-Atondoko Andali is accused of prejudice against civil society representatives.
• The Malian government has come under fire for alleged abuses and violations of human rights.

The director of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission’s human rights section was given 48 hours to leave the country, according to the Mali interim administration, who made the announcement on Sunday.

It said in a statement that Guillaume Ngefa-Atondoko Andali’s expulsion was motivated by his alleged prejudice in selecting civil society representatives to testify at UN Security Council briefings on Mali, the most recent of which took place on January 27.

A request for comment was not immediately answered by the MINUSMA UN mission in Mali. It was impossible to contact Andali for comment.

The Malian government has come under fire for alleged abuses and violations of human rights that were allegedly committed by the Malian military in collaboration with the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group in Mali.

UN experts demanded an independent investigation into any potential war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by either of these forces on January 31.

The Malian government, which came to power in a military coup in 2021, issued a statement on Saturday in which it disputed some of the UN’s claims and reaffirmed its commitment to upholding human rights in accordance with international and domestic law.

Also Read

United Nations calls for Russia to take responsibility for its actions in Ukraine

General Assembly calls for Russia to be held accountable for its actions...