Mali pm forced to rest by doctor

The prime minister of Mali, Choguel Ma ga, was ordered by his doctor to rest after months of intense exertion, his office said on Saturday. An adviser denied media reports that he had been hospitalised after having a stroke.

The prime minister, head of government, Choguel Kokalla Ma ga, was forced to rest by his doctor after 14 months of work without a break, his office said on his Facebook page. He will resume his activities next week, God willing. Sources close to him said Ma ga had had a stroke, which was first reported by Paris-based Jeune Afrique magazine. An adviser to Ma ga, reached by Reuters, denied this.

Ma ga, a former opposition leader, was appointed prime minister of the transitional government it leads in June of last year. In an August 2020 coup, the junta came to power and promised to organise democratic elections in 2024.

Ma ga has been one of the government's most outspoken voices in repeated public rows with West African neighbours and international partners, who have criticised its military cooperation with Russian mercenaries and repeated delays to elections.

On Saturday, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali announced that it would resume troop rotations on Monday, a month after Malian authorities suspended them and accused foreign soldiers of entering the country without permission.