Malian Tuaregs deny Ukraine's role in defeating Wagner mercenaries
Photo: Tuareg deny Ukraine's assistance in eliminating Wagner terrorists (media)
A spokesperson for the Tuareg rebel alliance in Mali said the alliance had not received any external assistance in the fighting in late July when it dealt a major blow to Wagner mercenaries, Reuters reports.
"We can clearly say that we received no outside help for the fighting at Tinzaouaten," Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane of the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) rebel alliance, tells Reuters.
Asked whether Ukraine had previously helped the rebel movement financially or with training, Ramadan replied: "No, we have not received any assistance from Ukraine."
Defeat of Wagner group
In early August, northern rebels announced that they had killed at least 84 Russian Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers in fierce fighting in the town of Tinzaouaten near the Algerian border. This is Wagner's biggest defeat since it intervened two years ago to help the military authorities in the West African country.
Neither Mali nor the Wagner Group has disclosed how many soldiers they lost in the fighting. However, in a statement on 29 July, the Wagner Group said it had suffered heavy casualties. The Malian authorities also acknowledged heavy losses in the battle, without giving any figures.
Later, the media published photos of Tuareg rebels with the Ukrainian flag.
Reactions from Mali and Niger
On 29 July, a representative of Ukraine's military intelligence made a statement that Mali interpreted as Ukraine providing information to the rebels before the fighting.
A few days later, Mali announced it was breaking off diplomatic relations with Ukraine over the statements. Neighboring Niger later severed relations with Ukraine, citing the same comments.
In a statement, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said that the move was hasty and no evidence was presented to confirm any role of Kyiv in the fighting.
Tuareg rebels
The Tuareg rebelled against the Malian government in 2012. In 2015, the rebels signed a peace agreement with the Malian government, but the CSP-PSD withdrew from the negotiations at the end of 2022.
The junta governments in Mali, Niger, and neighboring Burkina Faso, which came to power in 2020 promising to crush the liberation movement sweeping the Sahel region, have established close defense and diplomatic ties with Russia.
