46 Ivorian soldiers sentenced to 20 years in Mali prison

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press

TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) — The prosecutor general for the African nation of Mali says 46 soldiers from Ivory Coast have been sentenced to 20 years in prison for undermining state security in Mali and for attacks on Mali’s government. Prosecutor General Ladji Sara also said Friday that three other defendants, women who were released in September, were tried in absentia and sentenced to death. The 49 soldiers were detained in July when they went to work for Sahelian Aviation Services, a private company contracted to work in Mali by the United Nations. Mali’s government said it considered the Ivorians to be mercenaries because they were not directly employed by the U.N. mission. The case has added to escalating tensions between Mali’s military junta and the international community.