Fri Nov 22 04:51:50 UTC 2024: ## Mali Junta Ousts Prime Minister, Appoints Spokesperson as Replacement
**BAMAKO, Mali (November 22, 2024)** – Mali’s ruling military junta has abruptly dismissed Prime Minister Choguel Maiga and replaced him with government spokesperson Abdoulaye Maiga, state television reported Thursday. The dismissal follows Maiga’s public criticism of the junta’s indefinite postponement of elections, initially promised within a 24-month transition back to democracy.
Maiga, a civilian appointed in 2021, reportedly expressed his frustration over the lack of government discussion regarding the election delay, stating he learned of the postponement through media reports. This outspoken criticism angered the junta, sources say.
The junta, which seized power in a series of coups in 2020 and 2021, had pledged to hold elections in February 2024 but has since indefinitely delayed the vote, citing unspecified technical difficulties. Maiga’s dismissal highlights growing dissent within the Malian government, even among those who initially supported the coup. He is the latest in a string of officials to fall out of favor as the wait for democratic elections continues. Despite previously defending the junta against international condemnation, Maiga’s vocal criticism proved to be his undoing.
First Piper 