Côte d'Ivoire will gradually withdraw its troops deployed in Mali within the UN peacekeeping mission by August 2023, according to a letter from the Ivorian authorities sent to the United Nations and consulted on Tuesday, November 15 by AFP.
"
By order of the government of Côte d'Ivoire, the Permanent Mission confirms the gradual withdrawal of Ivorian military and police personnel deployed within the Minusma
", explains this letter from the Permanent Mission of Côte d'Ivoire to the UN. .
"
The relief of the protection company based in Mopti as well as the deployment of staff officers and police officers planned respectively for October and November 2022 can no longer be carried out
", continues the text.
Tense diplomatic relations
The Ivorian army did not confirm to AFP on Tuesday whether these shifts had actually already been interrupted.
Côte d'Ivoire also indicates that the soldiers and other elements present within the Minusma will not be relieved in August 2023. No official reason is given for this withdrawal but relations between Côte d'Ivoire have become considerably strained in recent months, particularly after the arrest last July of 49 Ivorian soldiers in Bamako.
Read alsoIn Mali, the hostage-taking of 49 Ivorian soldiers by the junta turns into a diplomatic puzzle
After three releases, 46 of them are still detained in Mali who accuse them of being mercenaries while Abidjan assures that they had to participate in the security of the German contingent of Blue Helmets in Mali.
This announcement comes the day after that of Great Britain, which indicated that it wanted to withdraw
its contingent “
sooner than expected ”.
London notably mentioned the rapprochement of the junta in power in Bamako since 2020 with the paramilitary group Wagner, reputed to be close to the Moscow regime.