Mali announces severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine
Abdoulaye Maiga, spokesman for the transitional government of Mali (DR / jeuneafrique.com)
The military junta of Mali has announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine, citing allegations that Kyiv supported Tuareg rebels who recently decimated a column of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner mercenaries.
The Malian government's decision was conveyed through a communiqué from the country's "transitional government."
The official document was released by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization of Mali. Additionally, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, the spokesman for the transitional government, shared an excerpt from the communiqué on his X account.
The government of Mali announces the severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine (photo: twitter.com/colonel_maiga)
Mali claims that Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, allegedly admitted Kyiv's involvement in the severe defeat suffered by Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries during the Tuareg offensive from July 25-27. The Wagner Group, aligned with Moscow, has been enlisted by Bamako to bolster its military.
The Malian junta further alleges that Ukraine's ambassador to Senegal, Yuriy Pivovarov, expressed "support for international terrorism," specifically in Mali, through his comments.
Bamako views these actions as blatant interference in Mali's internal affairs. The communiqué says that after a thorough examination of the situation, the transitional government of the Republic of Mali emphasizes that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities constitute a violation of Mali's sovereignty, go beyond foreign interference, are reprehensible in themselves, and amount to outright aggression.
As a result, the junta has declared its decision to "immediately sever diplomatic relations between the Republic of Mali and Ukraine" and instructed competent judicial authorities to investigate the statements made by Yusov and Pyvovarov.
Moreover, the communiqué from Mali's transitional government echoes the standard Kremlin narratives, including accusations of a "Nazi regime" in Ukraine.
Backstory
At the end of July, Tuareg rebels from the CSP-PSD movement shared footage online showing the destruction of a column of Wagner mercenaries in Mali. The details of the attack and more about the Tuareg rebels can be found in a report by RBC-Ukraine.
Recently, the Tuareg rebels disclosed the number of Wagner mercenaries killed in the attack. On Sunday, August 4, it was reported that Senegal had summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Yurii Pyvovarov over a Facebook comment allegedly linked to the Tuareg rebels' attack on the Wagner column.
Situation in Mali
In 2012, following clashes between rebels and the government, a coup d'état took place in Mali, ousting President Amadou Toumani Touré. Malian soldiers formed the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State, took control of Bamako, and suspended the country's constitution.
In February 2015, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the parties, but low-intensity conflicts continue in Mali to this day.
A UN peacekeeping contingent has been operating in Mali since 2013. The country has experienced several coups since then, and the current military junta has regularly clashed with the UN forces in Mali (MINUSMA).
Last summer, the junta requested the UN to withdraw its peacekeepers from the country, leading to the UN Security Council's decision to do so. The peacekeeping contingent is expected to leave Mali by January 1, 2024.
Previously, US National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby suggested that former Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin might have influenced the decision to withdraw peacekeepers.
Later, analysts from ISW noted that Al-Qaeda might exploit the peacekeepers' departure and Wagner's plans to seize UN bases. However, reports indicate that Russian and Malian militants lack the resources to take over the bases.
