Mali has expelled the representative of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the country as pressure mounts on it to provide a definitive timeline on its transition to civilian rule.
Hamodou Boly was summoned by the foreign affairs ministry and notified of the government’s decision.
Mali has been at loggerheads with the regional body over demands to hold elections in February.
The country was suspended from ECOWAS in May after the interim leader, Colonel Assimi Goïta, carried out a second coup in less than a year.
Prime Minister Choguel Maïga has indicated that the election could be delayed, citing concerns over credibility.
There is concern that the Malian army’s preoccupation with the political crisis continues to jeopardize its response to the security crisis that has plagued its northern and central regions.
