Malian authorities have arrested 49 Ivorian soldiers at Bamako International Airport accusing them of masterminding the overthrow of the transitional government of Col. Assimi Goita.
Mali pointed the finger at French President Emmanuel Macron currently on a three-nation Africa tour accusing him of leaning on Ivorian president Allassane Outarra to do his bidding.
Bamako is holding the 49 Ivorian soldiers and has refused to heed Ivorian president’s demand that they be returned to Cote d’Ivoire. Instead, Mali has proposed a prisoner swap involving Malian dissidents exiled in Cote d’Ivoire.
A meeting to discuss the prisoner swap was held in Lome, the capital of Togo but it is not clear what agreement was reached.
Mali under the current military government has severed relations with former colonial country of France and has mutually agreed with France to withdraw all its troops in the country.
Bamako has accused France of furthering its post colonial interests in the guise of providing security against jihadist whose resilience has raised questions in many circles as to how seriously French soldiers are committed to fighting those jihadists.
The Goita administration last year ordered four combat helicopters along with trainers from Russia to fight the jihadists themselves, a move that angered Paris.
Consequently, French President Macron announced a trip to Mali but had to cancel the trip because “negotiations to meet with Goita was proving a challenge anyway,” according to the statement released at that time.
The fact was that Goita indicated that Macron could come to Mali if he pleased, but he would not agree to meet one-on-one with him.
DNT News with Correspondence reports from Julius Ouya.
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