Conflict
"Let Them Go, Bamako!" - Abidjan
Ivory Coast on Tuesday called on Mali to release 49 of its soldiers "unjustly" detained at Bamako airport and accused by officials there of being mercenaries.
The Ivorian authorities have insisted the detained soldiers had arrived to join MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping force in Mali.
But Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General, said Tuesday."These are not UN peacekeeping troops, so they're not part of MINUSMA formally."
Haq added that they were part of the national support elements deployed by the contributing countries to back up their contingents. "That's a common practice in peacekeeping missions," he said.
Mali on Monday had said the troops from the Ivory Coast were armed and "mercenaries", having detained them on arrival.
None of the Ivorian soldiers detained were carrying weapons of war, said a statement from the Ivorian president's office after an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.
Mali's government has said its foreign ministry was not informed via official channels, denouncing a "flagrant violation" of the penal code relating to territorial integrity.
The incident takes place against a backdrop of tensions in Mali, one of the poorest and most unstable countries in Africa.
See all News Updates of the Day
Former US Ambassador to Syria reacts to al Assad ouster
Syria's former President Bashar al Assad has fled to Russia according to Russian state media. Following his ouster, Syrian rebels have taken control of key cities and forced government forces to surrender. As rebel groups consolidate control, what’s next for Syria? VOA’s Jackson M’vunganyi spoke to former United States Ambassador to Syria Ryan Crocker about the latest developments in the beleaguered country and on how is the United States posed to remain involved there in pursuit of democracy.
