Blitz Bureau
BANAKO: Mali’s military leader has sacked the Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maïga, and his Government following rare criticism by Maïga of the junta’s lack of clarity about a once-promised return to democracy, reported BBC.
A decree read on state television by junta leader Col Assimi Goïta said the duties of the Prime Minister and the members of the Government were “terminated”. Mali, said the BB report, has suffered years of jihadist and separatist violence – resulting in military coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta had promised to hold elections and hand back power to civilians by March 2024, but subsequently postponed the vote.
Relations between the military President and his civilian Prime Minister have been worsening for some time.
Recently, Maïga while speaking to his supporters, criticised the lack of transparency in the running of the transition.
“The transition was supposed to end on 26 March, 2024, but it has been postponed indefinitely, unilaterally, without debate within the Government,” he said. “This is not normal in a Government,” he added, revealing that as Prime Minister, he was not informed about the junta’s decision to postpone elections. He also underscored the potential challenges and risks the current confusion surrounding the transition could pose for the country.
