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Forty-six Ivory Coast soldiers who have been detained in Mali since July for being suspected of being “mercenaries” are on trial on Thursday in an appeals court in Bamako.
Their appearance comes ahead of the Jan. 1 deadline set by West African leaders for Mali to either release its forces or face sanctions.
The Ivory Coast soldiers were arrested in Mali on July 10 and charged in mid-August with “attempts to undermine the state’s external security”. Three of his men, all women, were later released.
Abidjan and the UN say troops have flown in to provide regular backup security for the German contingent of UN peacekeeping operations in Mali.
A week ago, an official delegation from Ivory Coast met with Malian authorities in an atmosphere of “fraternity”, and Ivory Coast’s defense minister declared the case “in the process of being resolved”.
“We registered for referral to a special trial without a public hearing after the case was investigated by the military judicial system,” an attorney at the Bamako Court of Appeal told AFP on Thursday. What is needed is that the Bamako Court of Appeal will bring the 46 Ivory Coast soldiers arrested at Bamako Airport on 10 July 2022 to trial with arms,” he added.
Forty-six Ivory Coast soldiers face 10 to 20 years in prison for crimes targeted by Mali’s justice system.
If this heavy sentence is handed down against the soldier, it could further sour relations between Bamako and Abidjan.
A possible presidential pardon has been raised by several sources.
If the charges against them are found guilty, Ivory Coast soldiers could benefit from a pardon for Mali’s interim chief Asimi Goyta.
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