In a complex web of ties linking Berlin and Bamako via Dubai, tonnes of gold and $1bn are now at the heart of a political intrigue rocking Ivory Coast's relations with its northern neighbour Mali. The affair is also taking a toll on the highly sensitive talks over the fate of 46 Ivorian soldiers being held in the Malian capital since their arrest in July.

The mystery of the $56.5m

The story behind the hushed affair began nine months earlier. In October 2021, a seemingly