The Malian interim government says that the head of the UN peacekeeping mission’s human rights division has been told that he is no longer welcome in the country and must leave within 48 hours.

A statement released on Sunday said that the decision to expel Guillaume Ngefa-Atondoko Andali was related to his allegedly biased choice of civil society witnesses for UN Security Council briefings on Mali, the most recent of which was held on January 27.

The UN mission in Mali is called MINUSMA. When asked for a comment, MINUSMA did not respond right away. Andali was not available for comment.

According to reports, Malian armed forces, in conjunction with the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group, committed several human rights violations and atrocities in Mali, increasing pressure on the country’s government.

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UN experts have demanded an independent investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both sides on January 31.

“Since 2021, the experts have received persistent and alarming accounts of horrific executions, mass graves, acts of torture, rape and sexual violence, pillaging, arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances perpetrated by Malian armed forces and their allies,” said the statement.

On Saturday, the Malian government, which came to power in a military coup in 2021, released a statement disputing some of the UN’s charges and stressing the authorities’ dedication to protecting human rights per international and national law.