The French league's disciplinary committee announced late Thursday (May 30) that it had sanctioned the Mali international for his refusal to "carry out one or more actions to raise awareness of the fight against homophobia."
Gnon-Konde was in Brussels to emphasize to EU officials the importance of focusing on the African regions where conflicts have displaced some 10.5 million people, even as international attention is drawn to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
He had been implicated in numerous attacks across the Sahel region, including the deadly 2017 raid that resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers and several Nigerien troops.
According to local sources who spoke to the AFP news agency, the civilians were traveling in three buses when attackers intercepted them and forced them to head towards a forest between Bandiagara and Bankass.
This extreme weather crisis, which began in late March during the Islamic month of Ramadan, has already been linked to a surge in deaths, with local hospitals reporting alarming figures.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Niger will offer the diesel at nearly half the normal market rate, marking a crucial step in supporting Mali’s energy needs.
The ban is ostensibly part of a broader effort by the junta, led by Colonel Assimi Goita since the second coup in 2021, to stabilize the country.
The suspension follows what Colonel Maiga referred to as "sterile discussions" during a national dialogue attempt earlier this year, which seemingly failed to foster constructive solutions.
