In Ivory Coast are the 46 soldiers pardoned by the junta in Mali after about six months of captivity. Their repatriation marks the settlement of the crisis between the two neighboring countries.
Visibly relieved, the freed Ivorians were all smiles as they stepped off the plane, holding Ivorian flags and thanking President Alassane Ouattara for welcoming them to the airport.
Citing its commitment to dialogue and peace, his junta Mali announced on Friday the granting of clemency to the soldiers from Ivory Coast, who had been sentenced on December 30 to 20 years in prison for “attempting to undermine state security”.
They were arrested in July at the airport in the capital, Bamako. At the time, the Malian authorities had called them “mercenaries”, while the Ivory Coast emphasized that they belonged to the UN peacekeeping force.
Mali has been isolated since 2020 when the military seized power in a coup and failed to follow through on a pledge to hold elections, prompting ECOWAS to impose sanctions on the country.
Source: News Beast
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