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BAMAKO, Mali — Malian authorities arrested almost 50 troopers from Ivory Coast who got here to Mali to work for a corporation contracted by the United Nations mission in Mali. The federal government made the announcement Monday calling the Ivorian troopers “mercenaries,” in a transfer that would increase tensions between the 2 West African nations.
Two plane arrived at Mali’s worldwide airport Sunday with the 49 troopers “with their weapons and ammunition of warfare, in addition to different navy tools,” mentioned Malian authorities spokesman Col. Abdoulaye Maiga. They “have been illegally on the nationwide territory of Mali,” and the transitional authorities considers them mercenaries, he added.
U.N. mission spokesman Olivier Salgado mentioned these Ivorian troopers “should not a part of one of many MINUSMA contingents, however have been deployed for a number of years in Mali as a part of logistical help on behalf of one in every of our contingents.” He mentioned that their arrival as aid would have been communicated beforehand to the nationwide authorities.
The troopers are working for the Sahelian Aviation Providers, a non-public firm contracted by the U.N., he mentioned.
The federal government intends to place an finish to the safety exercise of the Sahelian Aviation Providers by overseas forces and demand their departure from Malian territory, the federal government spokesman mentioned. The federal government invited “the airline” Sahelian Aviation Providers “to henceforth entrust its safety to the Malian protection and safety forces,” he mentioned.
Mali’s transitional authorities affirmed in June that it might not authorize the U.N. mission to research ongoing human rights violations in Mali, together with an incident at a small village within the middle of Mali the place the Malian military is accused by rights teams of killing greater than 300 civilians in April.
Worldwide tensions are mounting as France has additionally introduced the withdrawal of its forces deployed there almost a decade in the past to assist struggle extremist rebels.
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This story has been corrected to indicate that the Sahelian Aviation Providers is a non-public firm and never German-owned.
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