Mali : Forty-nine Ivorian Soldiers Arrested

Malian authorities on Monday, July 11, 2022 announced the arrest of 49 soldiers from Ivory Coast whom they consider “mercenaries”. The soldiers who were arrested on Sunday at the Bamako International Airport are said to have illegally entered the national territory.”  According to the Malian Government spokesman, Col. Abdoulaye Maiga, “two aircrafts arrived Mali’s International Airport on Sunday with 49 soldiers, carrying weapons and ammunition of war, as well as other military equipment.” The spokesperson added that case files of those arrested have been forwarded to the country’s higher judicial authorities where investigations into the matter are ongoing. 
U.N. mission spokesman Olivier Salgado said the arrested Ivorian soldiers “are not part of one of the MINUSMA contingents, but have been deployed for several years in Mali as part of logistical support on behalf of one of our contingents.” He regretted the fact that, the arrival of the relief soldiers was not communicated beforehand to the national authorities, as they are working for a German company contracted by the U.N. mission known as the Sahelian Aviation Services (SAS).
Despite these explanations, Malian authorities say their Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not been informed through official channels. They also noted a “flagrant violation” of the Malian penal code “criminalizing attacks on the external ...