The head of the human rights division of the United Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has been declared persona non-grata by the Malian authorities. Guillaume Andali has been requested to depart the nation by 7 February. The authorities accuses him of bias.
“This measure comes after the destabilising and subversive actions of Mister Andali,” declared Mali’s Foreign Affairs ministry in a communique learn on nationwide tv on Sunday 5 February.
The Malian authorities declare that Guillaume Ngefa-Atondoko Andali, head of MINUSMA’s human rights part, “selected frauds to be the representatives of Malian civil society while ignoring the authorities and national institutions”.
Bamako stated that Andali’s bias was fairly apparent on the UN’s final gathering on Mali.
The transitional authorities strongly rejected the claims made by a Malian rights activist invited to talk on the particular United Nations Security Council briefing on Mali.
On 27 January, Aminata Cheick Dicko, deputy chairman of Kisal, referred to the alleged human rights violations perpetrated by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) and, its navy accomplice, the Wagner group, described as Russian mercenaries.
She added that Wagner’s actions, “could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
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During the video-conference, Dicko urged the Malian authorities to “dissociate” themselves from the Wagner group. She additionally spoke about rampant terrorism, hundreds of internally displaced Malians and meals insecurity within the nation.
In its assertion, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, the federal government spokesperson, stated that Andali recruited Dicko “to play” the function of a fraud appearing as a consultant of the Malian civil society.
He added that Kisal is a overseas organisation which isn’t recognised by the federal government and doesn’t have the proper to function in Mali.
Aminata Dicko, nevertheless, was invited by Japan who presided over the Security Council in January.
Investigation into atrocities
On 31 January, following the Council’s briefing on Mali, UN specialists referred to as for an impartial investigation into attainable warfare crimes and crimes towards humanity by authorities forces and the Russian non-public navy contractor, Wagner Group, in Mali.
Since 2021, the specialists have obtained persistent and alarming accounts of horrific executions, mass graves, acts of torture, rape and sexual violence, pillaging, arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances perpetrated by Malian armed forces and their allies.
The group of impartial specialists have conveyed their considerations in regards to the allegations to the Malian authorities straight.
Andali headed the human rights division of the MINUSMA since its creation in 2013. He was almost expelled six months in the past.
Last 12 months, Oliver Salgado, MINUSMA’s spokesperson, was expelled from Mali. As was Joël Meyer, the French ambassador, in 2022 and Hamidou Boly, the ECOWAS consultant, in 2021.
Originally revealed on RFI