Mali’s ruling military junta on Thursday received a delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for talks to resolve a diplomatic crisis with Ivory Coast related to the arrest of the 46 Ivorian soldiers, reported The BBC.
According to the Malian presidency’s post on Facebook, Mali’s military leader Col Assimi Goïta welcomed the ECOWAS leaders as they arrived at the Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako on Thursday.
The delegation includes Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, Gambian President Adama Barrow, Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Dussey and mediator for Mali Goodluck Jonathan.
The ECOWAS delegation had been due to arrive in Mali two days ago, but the military-led government had postponed their arrival to Thursday, citing calendar constraints.
Senegalese President Macky Sall and Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbe, were to be part of the delegation announced last Thursday, during an extraordinary session of the West African bloc that was held on the same day in New York, on the side-lines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Notably, ECOWAS chairperson Umaro Sissoco Embalo had hinted at fresh sanctions for Mali if it continued to detain the 46 Ivorian soldiers.
Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, said his country would not obey any order on the detention of the soldiers, accused of being mercenaries.
In related news, Mali’s interim Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga said earlier this week that Mali does not respect and will not apply sanctions imposed by the ECOWAS leaders on Guinea in the wake of last year’s coup.
The 15-member West African political and economic bloc imposed sanctions on Guinea’s ruling junta over its inflexibility on setting a date to organize elections and restore democracy after seizing power last year. It said that the transition government has not made progress towards establishing a transition timeline and organizing elections.
