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Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé arrived in the Malian capital on Wednesday. He is responsible for mediating in the case of 46 Ivorian soldiers suspected of being “mercenaries” and detained in Mali since July.
A hope of mediation. The Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé, responsible for easing tensions in the case of 46 Ivorian soldiers suspected of being “mercenaries” and detained in Mali since Julyarrived Wednesday, January 4 in Bamako, told AFP a diplomatic official and an airport source.
“President Faure has just arrived in Bamako for a visit of a few hours. He was welcomed by President Assimi Goïta,” Abdoulaye Cissé, diplomatic adviser to the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told AFP.
“The two heads of state, following a first tete-a-tete at the airport, took the road to Koulouba [où se trouve le siège de la présidence malienne]for two working sessions, including one behind closed doors between the two presidents”, he continued.
Ultimatum
“The Togolese president has just arrived in Bamako. He was welcomed by the president of the transition”, also assured AFP an airport source. The visit of the Togolese head of state was also confirmed to AFP by two officials. No other information was given on their agenda and the reasons for this visit.
The 46 Ivorian soldiers suspected of being “mercenaries” detained in Mali since July were sentenced on December 30 to twenty years’ imprisonment, before the expiration of the ultimatum set for December 1is January by West African heads of state to the Malian junta to free them.
They were declared guilty of “attempt and conspiracy once morest the government”, “undermining the external security of the State”, “possession, carrying and transport of weapons and ammunition of war […] intended to disturb public order through intimidation or terror”, following a two-day trial in Bamako. In his New Year’s speech, the Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara promised that the imprisoned soldiers would “soon return to Ivorian soil”.
A “fraternal” spirit
Since July 10, Côte d’Ivoire has been demanding the release of its soldiers, categorically denying that they were or are “mercenaries”, claiming that they were on a mission for the UN, within the framework of operations of logistical support for the United Nations Mission in Mali (Minusma).
On December 22, a visit to Bamako by an official Ivorian delegation in the presence of the Togolese Foreign Minister took place in a “fraternal” spirit. It ended with the signing of a memorandum, the Ivorian Defense Minister, Téné Birahima Ouattara, brother of the Head of State, stressing that the case was “in the process of being resolved”.
The agreement reached between Mali and Côte d’Ivoire leaves open the possibility of a presidential pardon for the head of the Malian military junta, Assimi Goïta, who did not mention the Ivorian soldiers in his end-of-year speech Saturday.
With AFP