Mali Prime Minister Dismissed After Criticizing Military Rule

In a surprising turn of events, the Prime Minister of Mali, Choguel Kokalla Maïga, has been dismissed following his criticism of the military rulers.

The Secretary General of the presidential office, Alfousseyni Diawara who disclosed this on Wednesday said, “The duties of the prime minister and the members of the government are terminated.”

New Telegraph gathered that the move came a few days after Maïga’s remarks at a rally in Bamako, when he accused the junta of unilaterally and indefinitely postponing the transition process that was initially scheduled to begin on March 26.

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Maïga also expressed frustration over the lack of debate on the issue, claiming he has been left to rely on media reports for updates.

While military leader Assimi Goïta had previously promised elections would be held in February, those plans have since been delayed “for technical reasons” with no new timeline provided.

Goïta was among the rebels to overthrow the government in 2020 and then became interim president after another coup in 2021.

He then announced a 24-month transition timetable starting in March 2022 to return Mali to civilian rule.

The government has yet to announce who will replace Maïga as prime minister.