Mali authorities accuse Ukraine of supporting rebels, sever diplomatic relations

The transitional government of the Republic of Mali has decided to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine due to its support for the actions of the Tuareg rebels, who recently defeated a column of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries of the Wagner PMC, reads the communique of the Malian junta, which was published by the Ministry of Territorial Management and Decentralization, as well as the spokesman of the Malian government, Abdoulaye Maïga.

The Malian side declares that Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, "recognized the role of Kyiv" in the defeat by the Tuareg forces of the Armed Forces of Mali and the Russian Wagner units.

The statement states that the ambassador of Ukraine to Senegal, Yurii Pyvovarov, demonstrated in his comments "the country's support for international terrorism, in particular in Mali."

Bamako believes that in this way Ukraine seems to be interfering in the affairs of Mali.

The document states that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities allegedly "violate the sovereignty of Mali, go beyond the scope of foreign intervention, are reprehensible in themselves and are clear aggression."

Therefore, the junta decided to "immediately sever diplomatic relations between the Republic of Mali and Ukraine" and instruct "competent judicial authorities" to study Yusov's and Pyvovarov's remarks.

In addition, the communique of the transitional government of Mali echoes standard and traditional Kremlin narratives about the supposed "Nazi regime" in Ukraine.

The government's statement also contains Russian narratives about the alleged "neo-Nazi character" of the Ukrainian government.

"The Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali fully adheres to the diagnosis established by the Russian Federation, which, however, for many years has warned the world about the neo-Nazi and villainous nature of the Ukrainian government, which today is an ally of international terrorism and is far from the desire for peace and stability of the Ukrainian people," reads the document.

In addition to the sevrance of diplomatic relations, the following "decisions" were noted in the communique:

→ appeal to the "competent judicial authorities in connection with the remarks of Andriy Yusov and Yurii Pyvovarov, which are propaganda of terrorism";
→ taking necessary measures to prevent any destabilization of Mali on the part of African states and, in particular, on the part of Ukrainian embassies located in the subregion;
→ official notification of regional and international bodies, as well as states that support Ukraine, that "this country openly and publicly demonstrates its support for terrorism.

On July 28, 2024, Tuareg rebels claimed to have killed dozens of government soldiers and Russian mercenaries from Wagner in a battle near the border with Algeria.

On August 1, Ukraine's military intelligence representative Andriy Yusov stated that, in addition to the operations to destroy Russian mercenaries in Sudan, Syria and Mali, there were several more that were not disclosed in the media yet, and further similar measures are being prepared.

On August 2, the Tuareg rebels in Mali announced that they had eliminated 84 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group and 47 Malian soldiers in three days. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, Ukrainian special services are training Tuaregs to fly drones.