Bamako, Aug. 8, (dpa/GNA) – Mali’s transitional government has broken off diplomatic relations with Ukraine.
The move, which was announced on Sunday evening, follows a rebel attack in the country that left dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries dead.
As a consequence, Mali will in future regard support for Ukraine as support for international terrorism, the statement continued.
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry statement described Mali’s decision as “short-sighted and hasty,” rejecting the allegation of supporting terrorist activity.
It said Ukraine adheres unconditionally to international law and the inviolability of state borders. The severance of diplomatic relations was made “without a careful examination of the facts and circumstances of the incident in northern Mali.”
Ukrainian officer admits involvement
Despite the foreign ministry’s denials, a number of incidents point to Ukrainian involvement in the ambush around the village of Tinzaouatène on the border with Algeria.
An unconfirmed photo showing Tuareg fighters with a Ukrainian flag has been circulating online, while a representative of the Ukrainian military intelligence service previously stated that Kiev helped the rebel Tuareg.
“They have received the necessary information to enable them to carry out a successful military operation against the Russian war criminals,” said Andriy Yusov on Ukrainian television last week.
Yusov also announced further operations in Africa. “The monopoly of the Russian private armies in Africa is coming to an end and opposing forces are emerging that can put these criminals in their place,” he added.
Dozens reportedly killed
According to the separatist Tuareg, 84 Russian mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers were killed in several days of fighting at the end of July.
There was also talk of more than 80 casualties on Wagner-affiliated channels, representing the heaviest Russian losses to date in West Africa.
The Islamist GSIM terrorist group, which is allied with al-Qaeda, also attacked the convoy. Whether the Tuareg cooperated with the Islamists remains unknown.
Regional ramifications
The dispute around the ambush has had ramifications across the region.
Mali’s neighbour Senegal summoned Kiev’s ambassador on Saturday after the embassy shared a video referring to the attack. Senegal does not tolerate propaganda in support of terrorism, the foreign ministry announced.
A few days after the defeat, the Malian army carried out airstrikes in the area with assistance from Burkina Faso, hitting an area of illegal gold miners. According to local reports, around 50 people were killed.
Meanwhile, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop on Thursday spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
According to Bamako, Moscow reiterated its support for Mali and its neighbouring countries Burkina Faso and Niger, which are also ruled by military governments following a wave of coup d’états in the region.