Abidjan-Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara chaired an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council (CNS) in Abidjan on Tuesday, at the end of which the Malian authorities were asked to “release, without delay, the Ivorian soldiers something which the president termed as “unjustly arrested” in Bamako.
Forty-nine Ivorian soldiers (49), considered as ”mercenaries” by the Malian authorities arrested on Sunday, July 10, 2022 in Bamako.
“These soldiers are regularly registered in the workforce of the Ivorian army and were in Mali as part of the operations of the national support elements (NSE)”, President Outattars said.
“the National Security Council requests the Malian authorities to release, immediately, the unjustly arrested Ivorian soldiers”, reports the final press release of this meeting sent to Abidjan.net.
According to the National Security Council, upon the arrival of the forty-nine Ivorian soldiers in Mali last Sunday, as part of the 8th rotation, a copy of the contingent’s mission order was sent to the Malian airport authorities, to certify the regularity of the mission.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali as well as the Chief of Staff of the Malian Armed Forces, have received a copy,” the statement said.
In addition, the National Security Council maintained that no Ivorian soldier of this contingent was in possession of weapons and ammunition of war” contrary to the assertions of the Malian authorities.
Ivorian National Security Council further inform national and international opinion that the authorities will continue to work to maintain the climate of peace and brotherhood that has always prevailed between Côte d’Ivoire and Mali.
In a statement made public last Monday, the transitional government in Mali announced the arrest in Bamako of 49 Ivorian soldiers who were in possession of weapons and munitions of war ”without a mission order”.
These Ivorian soldiers were considered by the Malian authorities as ”mercenaries and arrested and placed at the disposal of the Malian justice system.
