Ivory Coast calls on Mali to immediately release 49 soldiers

By TOUSSAINT N’GOTTA and BABA AHMED
Associated Press

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast officials called on Mali to immediately release 49 of its soldiers who were arrested Sunday at the international airport in Bamako, refuting accusations they were mercenaries.  The Ivory Coast soldiers are regularly registered with the army and came as part of an agreed upon support mechanism for a contracting company of the United Nations mission in Mali. Ivory Coast said Mali’s government was aware of their arrivals and said that weapons were located in a second plane.