BAMAKO: The Malian Foreign Ministry has requested that the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission's (MINUSMA) spokesperson to leave Mali within the next 72 hours due to rising tensions between the two countries following tweets alleging a diplomatic incident.
The temporary suspension of all new rotations of the MINUSMA peacekeeping deployment was announced last week by Mali for security reasons. Days before the announcment, the Malian authorities detained 49 Cote d'Ivoire soldiers they claimed had entered the nation illegally. Cote d'Ivoire claimed the soldiers were deployed to reinforce MINUSMA, while Mali claimed it lacked any official authorisation to enter the nation or mission orders, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The Malian Foreign Ministry accused MINUSMA spokesperson Olivier Salgado in a statement issued on Wednesday of posting on Twitter "without any proof" claiming that the Malian authorities had been informed of the arrival of the 49 soldiers. The statement stated that Mali cannot "ignore these activities which undermine the collaboration with MINUSMA and other partners."
Salgado's proposed resignation is "very regrettable," according to deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq. To support international and local forces battling extremists, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, or MINUSMA, was established in 2013.
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