Seventy-two hours is the deadline given by the Malian junta, this Wednesday, to the spokesperson for the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma), Olivier Salgado, to leave the country.
Salgado is paying the price for his statements concerning the 49 Ivorian soldiers detained since July 10 by Bamako. A press release from the Malian diplomacy claims that he published on Twitter “biased and unacceptable information”, declaring, “without any proof, that the Malian authorities would have been informed beforehand of the arrival of the 49 Ivorian soldiers by civilian flight, at the international airport (of Bamako) on Sunday July 10, 2022”.
The day after the arrest of the Ivorian soldiers, Salgado had suggested that these Ivorian soldiers were part of the « national elements of logistical support » to Minusma and that the Malian authorities were informed in advance of their arrival.
But this assertion was denied, a few days later, by the UN. “The Ivorian troops do not belong to the Minusma forces. A request from Côte d’Ivoire to deploy national support elements was approved in 2019. However, no troops have been deployed under this convention since then. We strongly encourage the two countries to work together to resolve the situation and enable the release of the detained troops,” UN spokesman Farhan Haq said.
Côte d’Ivoire still maintains that its soldiers are support elements for Minusma, and were to take over from other Ivorians deployed in Mali. She calls for their immediate release.
Mali, which described these soldiers as « mercenaries », said recently that it was open to mediation by Togo to find a solution to the dispute between Bamako and Abidjan caused by this affair.
A Malian association close to the ruling junta has called outright for the departure of the Minusma which, according to it, « became an occupying force which revives and maintains fear ».
By OMA Newsletter N° 787 of 07/21/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
