Niger’s military-led government has announced it is ending diplomatic relations with Ukraine, becoming the second African nation to do so. This decision follows comments from a Ukrainian official perceived as supporting rebels in neighboring Mali. The move aligns with Russia’s broader strategy to strengthen its presence in the Sahel by backing military regimes dealing with separatist and Islamist insurgencies.
This development comes after Mali’s military government also severed ties with Ukraine on August 4, accusing it of involvement—an accusation Ukraine denies—in an attack by rebels that led to the deaths of many Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries. Ukraine has not yet addressed Niger’s decision.
On August 6, Niger’s government spokesperson Abdourahamane Amadou announced in a televised statement that Niger, standing in full support with Mali, has decided to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine. This decision is effective immediately and is based on Niger’s sovereign authority.
In recent fighting near the Algerian border, armed groups in northern Mali reported significant casualties, including 47 government soldiers and 84 Russian Wagner mercenaries. This battle represents one of the most severe losses for Wagner since it started its military support for Mali’s government two years ago.
Andrey Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), commented on Ukrainian public television that the rebels had “acquired all the necessary information” to overcome the Russian mercenaries allied with Malian forces. He did not directly confirm Ukraine’s involvement.
Yusov’s statement led Mali’s military government to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine, accusing it of supporting terrorism and violating Mali’s sovereignty.
In reaction, Ukraine, which has been battling Wagner mercenaries in eastern Ukraine, strongly refuted Mali’s claims. Kyiv described Mali’s action as “short-sighted and hasty,” emphasizing that Ukraine is facing unwarranted large-scale aggression from Russia.
On August 5, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry issued a statement asserting its adherence to international law, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, and rejecting Mali’s allegations of supporting international terrorism.
Russia has been providing protection and various services to authoritarian governments in Africa and has recently expanded its presence into Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger amid a series of military coups in the Sahel region.
On August 6, approximately 40 individuals were detained in northern Nigeria, near the border with Niger, for displaying Russian flags during demonstrations against rising living costs and government policies.
On August 5, the United States transferred control of Airbase 201 in Agadez, its final military base in Niger, to local authorities, as announced by both the U.S. Department of Defense and Niger’s Ministry of Defense. This handover followed the earlier withdrawal of U.S. forces from Airbase 101 in Niamey, Niger’s capital.
The closure of these bases, essential for U.S. counterterrorism operations in the region, was in line with an agreement for American troops to depart Niger by September 15.
The Wagner Group, which had been heavily involved in Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, faced uncertainty after its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash in August 2023, shortly after leading a brief mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is believed that Wagner mercenaries who did not re-align with Russia’s Defense Ministry after the mutiny have moved to Africa.