The head of the human rights division of the Minusma expelled from Mali

maryam lahbal
maryam lahbal
2 Min Read
human rights

The expulsion of the UN leader comes after the critical intervention of Aminata Dicko at the UN Security Council on January 27. It also follows that of the representative of ECOWAS and that of the French ambassador, after the departure of Barkhane.

Forty-eight hours is the deadline officially announced by the spokesperson for the Malian junta in a press release on television for Guillaume Ngefa-Atondoko Andali to leave the territory. The reason invoked: the supposed partiality of the director of the human rights division of the Minusma. The transitional authorities accuse him of having put forward Aminata Dicko as a representative of civil society on the Security Council nine days ago. The vice-president of the Kisal observatory did not hesitate to denounce the security situation in the country and the involvement, according to her, of the new Russian allies of the national army in serious violations… which had made Bamako furious.

The UN told RFI “to regret the decision of the Malian government”, while affirming that the Minusma “will continue the execution of its mandate, including with regard to human rights”. The organization also confirmed to us that it was not the director of the human rights division who invited Aminata Dicko, as the junta suggests, but rather Japan directly, which chaired the Council in January. Be that as it may, Guillaume Ngefa has been in the crosshairs of the Malian authorities for a long time. He almost got kicked out six months ago.

The Congolese have headed the human rights and protection division of Minusma since its creation in 2013. This division is responsible for investigating crimes committed by all actors present in Mali: it had also documented the allegations of Barkhane’s abuses in Bounti in 2022. And she claims in vain access to supposed army sites of abuse, the latest being the village of Moura.

Maryam Lahbal

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