Togo’s President Arrives in Mali to Mediate in Freeing Detained Suspected Ivorian ‘Mercenaries’

In late December 2022, Mali sentenced 46 Ivorian soldiers suspected of being “mercenaries” to 20 years in prison, days before a deadline set by the regional ECOWAS bloc for Mali to free the troops expired. The Ivorians were arrested by Malian authorities at Bamako airport in July 2022 to provide back-up security for a UN peace-keeping mission.