NEWSEx-President Jonathan visits Buhari in Aso Rock over Mali crisis

 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday played host to his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa Abuja, where he reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to promoting peace and harmony among ECOWAS countries.

The former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, was at the State House to brief Buhari on the face-off between Mali and Cote D’Ivoire over detained Ivorian soldiers.

Dr Jonathan is ECOWAS Special Envoy on the situation in Mali.

About 49 Ivorian soldiers had been detained in Mali for ‘unlawful entry,’ and only the three females in the team have been released, leaving 46. The development is threatening a rupture in the relationship between the two countries.

Cote D’Ivoire has condemned the act as ‘hostage taking,’ and says it may take action, hence the need for intervention of ECOWAS leaders, as advocated by the Special Envoy, former President Jonathan.

President Buhari pledged an initiative from Nigeria, towards immediate resolution of the impasse.