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Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe, who is mediating the case of 46 Ivory Coast soldiers suspected of being “mercenaries” and detained in Mali since July, arrived in Bamako on Wednesday, diplomats and the airport said. a source told AFP.
“President Fauré has just arrived in Bamako for a visit of a few hours. He was welcomed by President Asimi Goyta,” Malian foreign ministry diplomatic adviser Abdullah Cisse told AFP.
“The two heads of state made their way to Kurba, home of the Mali presidential palace, after the first tete a tete at the airport.” two working sessions,” he continued.
“The president of Togo has just arrived in Bamako. He was welcomed by the transitional president,” a source at the airport also assured AFP.
The visit of Togo’s head of state was also confirmed to AFP by two officials.
No further information was provided as to their agenda and reason for their visit.
Forty-six Ivory Coast soldiers suspected of being “mercenaries” who had been detained in Mali since July were sentenced to 20 years in prison on December 30, but the West African head of state forced them into Mali’s military junta. It was before the ultimatum that ordered him to be released had expired.
They are responsible for “attacks and conspiracies against the government”, “undermining the state’s external security”, “possession, carrying and transportation of weapons and munitions intended to disturb public order through intimidation and intimidation (.. )” was convicted. Terror”, at the end of his two-day trial in Bamako.
In a New Year’s speech, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara promised imprisoned soldiers “soon to return to Ivory Coast soil.”
Since 10 July, Côte d’Ivoire has demanded the release of its soldiers, categorically denying that they are “mercenaries”, and they have been placed on UN missions as part of the logistical support operation of the UN Mali Mission. (UNMIS).
On December 22, an official delegation of Côte d’Ivoire visited Bamako in the presence of the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the spirit of “brotherhood”. It ended with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the brother of Ivory Coast Defense Minister Tené Vilahima Ouattara, the head of state, stressing that the issue was “moving towards resolution”.
A deal reached between Mali and Ivory Coast leaves the possibility of a presidential pardon for the head of Mali’s military junta, Asimi Goyta, who failed to mention Ivory Coast soldiers in his year-end speech on Saturday.
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