On Friday, the Court of Appeal of Bamako in the republic of Mali convicted 46 Ivorian soldiers for undermining state security and sentenced them to 20 years in prison.
The Appellate Court of Bamako issued the verdict after only two days of marathon hearings that began on Thursday, December 29.
The soldiers were apprehended on July 10, 2022, after arriving at Bamako Airport during a standoff between Mali’s military junta and Western countries concerned about the West African country’s ties with Russia.
While the government of Cote d’Ivoire claimed the troops were part of a UN Mission, Mali claimed they were mercenaries seeking to destabilize the country.
Three women were detained among the soldiers and later released on humanitarian grounds. However, they were later tried in absentia.
The verdict comes just days before the deadline set by the West African bloc ECOWAS for the soldiers’ release. The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on December 4 and gave Bamako until January 1 to release the soldiers or face sanctions.
Bamako moved with speed to defy orders from the regional block.
REF: THE EASTAFRICA
