On Saturday 27 September, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, condemned the arrest, made public in mid-August, of a “ member of the diplomatic corps” in Mali’s capital, Bamako. The European Union calls for the immediate release of this agent and for full respect for the principles of international law.
“This arrest constitutes a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, as it concerns a diplomatic agent duly accredited by the Malian authorities and holding a Malian diplomatic card leaving no doubt as to his status”, Ms Kallas stated in a press release on behalf of the EU, without specifying the identity of the diplomat concerned.
Several media outlets suggest that he could be a French agent detained by the Malian authorities for “attempting to destabilise” the country. When contacted on Monday 29 September, the European External Action Service declined to comment. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)