West African leaders arrive in Mali to mediate I.Coast soldier crisis

A high-level mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) arrived in Mali  to try to resolve a diplomatic crisis sparked by Bamako's detention of soldiers from Ivory Coast.

Gambian President Adama Barrow and his Ghanaian counterpart Nana Akufo-Addo landed separately at Bamako airport around midday and headed for the Malian president's office.

The Togolese head of state, Faure Gnassingbe, was expected to join the mission but was instead represented by his minister of foreign affairs, Robert Dussey, who confirmed his presence in the Malian capital in a message to a correspondent.

Mali and Ivory Coast are locked in a diplomatic row over the fate of 46 Ivorian soldiers arrested on July 10 upon arrival at Bamako airport.

Ivory Coast and the United Nations say the troops were supposed to help provide security for the German contingent of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, but Bamako has accused them of being "mercenaries" who had come to undermine state security.

The Malian junta, which has been in power since 2020, has warned that it would listen to the ECOWAS mediators but not allow them to "impose" a solution.

Bamako said it was outraged by ECOWAS last week slapping sanctions on Guinea, which has also been ruled by a junta since September 2021.

It called the sanctions "illegal, inhumane and illegitimate", and said it would, "if necessary", adopt measures to help alleviate their effect.