The military government in Mali has declared that 49 soldiers from Ivory Coast, who were detained at the airport in Bamako when they arrived on Sunday, were mercenaries.
However, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, said the men were part of a unit that provided routine logistical support to the Ivorian military contingent of MINUSMA.
The government in Mali says the case will be referred to the judicial authorities.
A local journalist told the BBC that Mali’s military government – which has promised to restore civilian rule – has had a troubled relationship with the UN.
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Source: BBC
