Kyiv/Bamako: Kyiv has condemned Mali’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine, following allegations that Kyiv provided intelligence to separatist rebels in Mali, a Russian ally.
Mali has accused Ukraine of supplying crucial intelligence that was reportedly used by rebels to kill dozens of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group and Malian soldiers during a recent clash.
On Sunday, Mali announced it was breaking diplomatic ties with Ukraine “with immediate effect,” citing a vague statement from a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson, which Mali interpreted as an admission of involvement.
In response, Ukraine’s foreign ministry labeled Mali’s decision as “short-sighted and hasty”. The ministry criticized Russia’s military presence in Africa and described Mali’s action as “regrettable,” noting that it was taken “without conducting a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances… and without providing any evidence of Ukraine’s involvement.”
Last month, intense fighting in northern Mali resulted in Tuareg-led separatists claiming to have killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers over three days.
Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence unit, was reported by state media as saying, “The rebels received all the necessary information they needed,” though he did not provide further details.
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Ukraine also criticized Russia’s Wagner group, which has recruited thousands of prisoners from Russian jails to support Moscow’s invasion and has been active across Africa for years. “Kremlin-controlled military structures, including Wagner, use terrorist methods and are directly involved in numerous war crimes, killings of civilians, and ill-treatment of prisoners of war both in Ukraine and in Africa,” the statement read.
Since a 2020 coup, Mali’s military leaders, under Colonel Assimi Goita, have prioritized reclaiming territory from separatists and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The junta has shifted its allegiance from former colonial ruler France to Russia.
