Published on : 03/09/2022 – 21:22
Three women who are part of the group of 49 Ivorian soldiers arrested in Mali on July 10 have reportedly been released. Robert Dussey, the head of Togolese diplomacy, made the announcement on Saturday evening. A case in which Togo plays the mediator between Bamako and Abidjan.
The official announcement was made in Lomé, Togo, on Saturday evening during a press conference during which the three flags of Togo, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire were visible on the desks.
And Togo, mediator country, is working to obtain the release of these 49 people through calls and discreet movements. Today in particular, negotiations were underway.
Shortly before this announcement, Fidel Sarassoro, chief of staff to President Alassane Ouattara read a press release collected by our correspondent in Lomé, Peter Sassou Dogbe.
« Forty-nine Ivorian soldiers were arrested on July 10, 2022 at Bamako airport on the grounds that their arrival on Malian soil had not been the subject of prior notification or authorization. The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire regrets that shortcomings and misunderstandings were at the origin of this highly regrettable event. The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, anxious to maintain good neighborly relations with Mali, undertakes to respect the procedures of the United Nations, as well as the new Malian rules and provisions enacted relating to the deployment of military forces in Mali. »
From sources close to the file, in Abidjan as in Bamako, we recognize that intense efforts are underway to move the file forward. Mali accuses of being mercenaries ». Abidjan, who is asking for their release, ensures for his part that they were on a mission for the UN, as part of logistical support operations for Minusma.
►Read also : Mali: the 49 Ivorian soldiers charged and imprisoned for “undermining state security”
