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The 46 Ivory Coast soldiers who were pardoned by Mali’s military junta leaders returned home on Saturday night.
After their plane landed at 11:40 pm (GMT), uniformed soldiers disembarked one by one, each brandishing a small Ivory Coast flag.
They were greeted by President Alassane Ouattara before entering the presidential pavilion at the airport where their families were waiting.
“On behalf of the entire group, I would like to express my deep gratitude for all that has been done to bring us back home,” said Lieutenant Adam Kouasi, one of the soldiers detained by Malian authorities. .
“We are happy to welcome you back to Ivory Coast today. We are happy for you, for us, for your family and for the nation.”
With the amnesty and the return of troops, tensions between neighboring countries are easing as President Ouattara wants to move on from diplomatic disputes.
“Obviously, now that this crisis has passed, we can resume normal relations with Mali, a brother country that needs us and needs us too. Our brothers,” added the Ivory Coast President.
The soldiers have been detained in Mali since July 2022 and had been sentenced to 20 years in prison before being pardoned for conspiracy against the government.
Mali has accused them of being mercenaries, but Côte d’Ivoire and the United Nations say they were flown in to provide regular back-up security to German contingents on UN peacekeeping missions.
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