The ruling junta claims that Kiev played a role in the significant defeat of the Malian army and the Wagner Group at the end of July during clashes with separatists and jihadists in the northern region of the country.
The Malian government, on Sunday, August 4, resolved to “immediately cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine,” according to its spokesperson, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga.
Abdoulaye Maïga, in a statement, expressed the Malian government’s “deep astonishment” at Andriy Yusov’s remarks. Yusov, spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence, admitted Ukraine’s involvement in a “cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric” attack by armed terrorist groups that resulted in the deaths of Malian defense and security personnel. Yusov also revealed on Ukrainian television on July 30 that the rebels had obtained critical information to execute an operation against Russian war criminals, a fact that has been noted globally. This video was shared by the Ukrainian ambassador to Senegal.
Backing for international terrorism
The Malian government deems these actions as “an infringement on Mali’s sovereignty, exceeding the bounds of foreign interference, and constituting support for international terrorism.” It plans to refer the issue to the appropriate judicial authorities and implement “necessary measures to prevent any destabilization of Mali by other African states, particularly from Ukrainian embassies in the region, where terrorists may be posing as diplomats,” Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga added. Meanwhile, the new Senegalese authorities summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in Dakar on Saturday due to the publication of a video supporting recent attacks on the Malian army and its Russian allies. The Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “Senegal, maintaining a position of constructive neutrality in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, will not tolerate any attempts to import the ongoing media propaganda into its territory.”
This week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated his support for Bamako during a phone call with Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop. Separatists and jihadists claimed responsibility for killing numerous members of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner and Malian soldiers in battles in Tinzaouatene on July 25, near the Algerian border in the far northeast of Mali. Both the Malian army and Wagner confirmed substantial losses, though exact numbers were not provided. Analysts agree that this defeat represents the heaviest loss the Wagner Group has faced in Africa.
