The Ivory Coast’s government on Wednesday called for an urgent summit of West African leaders to help release 46 of its soldiers detained in Mali, reported The Africa News.
The two countries have been locked in a diplomatic row since July 10 when Mali’s transitional government arrested 49 Ivorian soldiers upon their arrival in Bamako in July.
The military government accused the soldiers of possessing weapons and ammunition of war without a mission order and they were considered mercenaries to be prosecuted. In August, the troops were charged with attempted harm to external state security. Last week, the military junta released three female Ivorian soldiers and kept the remaining in detention.
But last Friday, Mali’s transition leader, Col. Assimi Goita, indicated that releasing the remaining Ivory Coast’s soldiers would be tied to the extradition of Malians being sought on international warrants in Ivory Coast.
However, a statement released Wednesday after a meeting of Ivory Coast’s National Security Council chaired by President Alassane Ouattara described the Mali’s condition as unacceptable blackmail.
“This request confirms once again that our soldiers are in no way mercenaries but hostages,” the statement said.
The list of Malians allegedly wanted are Karim Keita, the son of former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was overthrown in a 2020 coup, and Tieman Hubert Coulibaly, the former Defense and Foreign Minister under Keita.
Ivory Coast’s government again demanded the immediate release of its troops and called on Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders to meet as soon as possible over the crisis.
Ivory Coast contends that its soldiers were unjustly arrested as they are part of its logistical contingent to support its troops deployed under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
In July, the government said the Ivor in possession of weapons and ammunition of war as alleged by the Malian authorities.
