Mali has accused Kiev of violating its sovereignty and supporting international terrorism
Mali’s interim government has announced that it is breaking off diplomatic relations with Ukraine. The measure was taken in response to officials in Kiev demonstrating support for Tuareg militants and admitting to Ukraine’s complicity in a recent terrorist attack that killed Malian soldiers and Russian military contractors.
Last month, a military convoy carrying Malian defense and security forces and Russian Wagner Group contractors was ambushed by Tuareg insurgents in the vicinity of the village of Tinzawaten near the border with Algeria. Scores of servicemen were killed and multiple trucks were destroyed by the militants.
Following the attack, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence service (GUR), Andrey Yusov, stated on Ukrainian TV that his agents assisted the rebels with “necessary information, and not just information, which enabled a successful military operation against Russian war criminals,” and vowed that “there will be more to come.” Ukraine’s embassy in Dakar posted the interview on its Facebook page, along with a comment from Ambassador Yury Pivovarov, who said, “there will certainly be other results.” The video has since been deleted.
READ MORE: Ukraine reproached again for supporting ‘terrorism’
In a statement released by local media on Sunday, the Malian government expressed shock over Kiev’s involvement in “a cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric attack.” It added that Pivovarov’s remarks show “his country’s support for international terrorism, particularly in Mali.”
These extremely serious statements, which have not been denied or condemned by the Ukrainian authorities, show clear official support from the Ukrainian Government for terrorism in Africa, the Sahel and more specifically in Mali.
The transitional government stated that Kiev’s actions “violate the sovereignty of Mali,” “go beyond the scope of foreign interference,” and constitute a breach of international law.
