Cote d'Ivoire strengthens border security amid regional threats

ABIDJAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire has strengthened border security in response to rising regional threats, government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly said Wednesday.

Following a cabinet meeting, Coulibaly told reporters that measures to secure areas near Mali, where jihadist attacks have intensified, are already in place and remain "robust."

He added that any Ivorian support for Mali would depend on a formal request from authorities in Bamako and would take place within the collective framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), not unilaterally.

Coulibaly also warned of potential humanitarian spillover, saying the government is preparing for a possible influx of Malian refugees, with social support measures already in place. ■