Mali’s military regime has ordered the Swedish Ambassador to leave the country within 72 hours, citing a “hostile” statement from Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Trade, Johan Forssell.
Forssell recently announced plans to phase out aid to Mali, triggering a swift and severe response from Bamako.
The expulsion marks another escalation in Mali’s growing rift with Western nations, as the country, along with its neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso, strengthens ties with Russia.
This latest diplomatic fallout follows a similar incident in 2022 when Mali ousted the French Ambassador over controversial remarks about its transitional government.
As tensions rise, the Swedish Foreign Ministry has yet to respond to this sudden development.