Ivory Coast calls for emergency summit over troops held in Mali

KIGALI, Rwanda

Ivory Coast called Wednesday for an urgent summit of West African leaders over the continued detention of 46 of its soldiers in Mali.

Mali's transitional government arrested 49 Ivorian soldiers upon their arrival in the capital Bamako in July.

Bamako accused the soldiers of possessing weapons and ammunition of war “without a mission order” and they were considered “mercenaries” to be prosecuted.

Last week, the military junta released three female soldiers in the group.

But the transition leader, Col. Assimi Goita, indicated last Friday that freeing the remaining troops would be tied to the extradition of Malians being sought on international warrants in Ivory Coast.

However, a statement released Wednesday after a meeting of Ivory Coast’s National Security Council chaired by President Alassane Ouattara described as “unacceptable blackmail” the condition put forward by Mali.

“This request confirms once again that our soldiers are in no way mercenaries but hostages,” the statement said.

Notable among the Malians allegedly wanted are Karim Keita, the son of former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was overthrown in a 2020 coup, and Tieman Hubert Coulibaly, the former Defense and Foreign Minister under Keita.

Ivory Coast again demanded the “immediate release” of its troops and called on leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to meet as soon as possible over the crisis.

“The latest developments are liable to harm peace and security in the sub-region,” the statement said.

In August, the troops were charged with attempted harm to external state security.

Ivory Coast contends that its soldiers were “unjustly arrested” as they are part of its logistical contingent to support its troops deployed under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

In July, the government said no Ivorian soldier in the contingent was in possession of weapons and ammunition of war as alleged by the Malian authorities.

Under the United Nations peacekeeping operations, troop and police contributing countries may decide to deploy national support elements to provide their deployed contingents administrative and logistical services.