Sankara is Here! Season finale

As the ceasefire took effect, a 16-member West African observer force was dispatched to the Agacher region to monitor the border. This force was withdrawn before the end of January 1986, though not without incident—an Ivorian helicopter crashed while overseeing the ceasefire.

On January 8, the Red Cross facilitated the exchange of prisoners: two captured Malian soldiers and one interned Malian civilian were swapped for 16 Burkinabé soldiers. Later, at an ANAD summit in Yamoussoukro on January 17, Traoré and Sankara met and formalized an agreement to end hostilities.

The second and final prisoner exchange occurred on February 26 in Bamako, where 15 captured Malian civilians were exchanged for eight Burkinabé civilians. In March, an Economic Community of West Africa summit held in Ouagadougou saw both Sankara and Traoré in attendance, symbolizing reconciliation. The summit participants elected another Malian to replace the outgoing secretary general of the organization, and by June, Mali and Burkina Faso had reestablished formal diplomatic relations.

Following the ceasefire, both countries petitioned the ICJ to impose interim measures to prevent further conflict until a decision was reached. Burkina Faso claimed to be the victim of Malian aggression, while Mali argued it had acted in self-defense in response to Burkinabé occupation. Burkina Faso sought the withdrawal of all troops from the region, but Mali contended this would violate the ANAD truce terms. The ICJ advised continued mediation under ANAD, a troop withdrawal agreement, and measures to prevent conflict pending a final decision.

The parties began their oral arguments before the ICJ in June, and on December 22, 1986, the court issued its ruling. The disputed territory was split, with Mali receiving the more densely populated western portion and Burkina Faso the eastern section centered on the Béli. Both countries expressed satisfaction with the judgment, marking the end of this tumultuous chapter.