Bamako – Mali’s military junta on Monday called for Togo to mediate in its dispute over the 49 Ivorian soldiers it has detained for eight days, the two countries’ foreign ministries said.
Ivory Coast has called for the immediate release of its soldiers, who it says were unjustly arrested on July 10, by the authorities in Mali, who accused them of being mercenaries sent to destabilise the country.
Abidjan has insisted the soldiers had arrived to join MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping force in Mali.
A UN spokesman has said that while they were not UN peacekeeping as such, they were part of national support elements routinely deployed by the contributing countries.
Mali’s junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, said he was open to talks on the matter “in the strict respect of the sovereignty of Mali”, according to a joint statement from the foreign ministers of Togo and Ivory Coast.
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He had therefore asked Togo to mediate, and President Faure Gnassingbe had agreed to help resolve the situation, the statement added.
Gnassingbe has already intervened on behalf of Mali’s military rulers in their dispute with the West African bloc ECOWAS over the timetable for a return to civilian rule.
Mali adopted a timetable allowing for civilian rule by 2024 and ECOWAS agreed to lift sanctions.
Goita first seized power in 2020 following protests over the government’s handling of a war against a jihadist offensive in the country.
Goita staged another coup in 2021 to oust civilian leaders and was sworn in as interim president.
Mali has turned away from its longtime ally and former colonial power France and its partners in favour of Russian help to fight the threat from jihadists.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Pixabay
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