Chad’s government ordered the German ambassador to leave the nation within 48 hours, according to a statement, citing his comments concerning Chad’s delayed transition to civilian administration following a coup in 2021.

“This government decision is driven by the discourteous attitude and disregard for diplomatic norms,” the country’s Communication Ministry stated late Friday on Twitter.

Two Chadian government sources said on Saturday that Ambassador Gordon Kricke had criticised delays in holding elections after the coup, and a ruling last year that will allow interim military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby to run in elections in 2024.

Germany’s foreign ministry did not comment on Kricke’s expulsion, but a source familiar with the ministry’s thinking said the move was “absolutely incomprehensible” and that it was in contact with Chadian authorities.

Military leaders in the Central African country originally promised an 18-month transition to elections when Deby seized power after his father, President Idriss Deby, was killed on the battlefield during a conflict with insurgents, ending decades of authoritarian rule.

But last year the junta extended the timeline by two years, delaying elections until October 2024, sparking protests in which dozens of civilians were killed, and worrying regional powers and the United States who have warned against extending military rule.