49 Ivory Coast soldiers pardoned by Mali's junta leader
The leader of Mali’s military junta has pardoned 49 soldiers from neighboring Ivory Coast who were convicted of undermining Mali's state security and conspiracy against the government BAMAKO, Mali -- Mali's Military junta leader on Friday pardon ed 49 soldiers from neighboring Ivory Coast who were convicted of undermining Mali's state security and conspiracy against the government, authorities announced. Col. Assimi Goita granted the pardon and “demonstrates once again his commitment to peace, dialogue, pan-Africanism and the preservation of fraternal and secular relations with regional countries, in particular those between Mali and Ivory Coast," said a statement from Col. Abdoulaye Maiga, the government spokesman. The pardon comes one week after 46 of the soldiers were sentenced to 20 years in prison. The three other defendants, all women who had been released in September, were tried in absentia and sentenced to death. The 49 soldiers were detained in July w...