Mali announced that it is severing diplomatic relations with Ukraine over what it claims was Ukrainian involvement in a recent deadly terrorist attack that killed dozens of soldiers in the West African country.
Malian government ”has learned, with deep shock, of the subversive remarks by which Mr Andriy Yusov, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Military Intelligence agency, has admitted Ukraine’s involvement in a cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups,” said government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga on Sunday.
The attack ”resulted in the deaths of elements of the defence and security forces in Tinzaouaten, as well as material damage,” Maiga said.
The Malian military reported a significant number of casualties after confrontations in Tinzaouaten in the northern part of the nation. Meanwhile, the Wagner Group, which is linked to Russia and provides support to the military, acknowledged the loss of Russian personnel and the death of a senior officer during intense combat in the area.
“These extremely serious accusations, which have not been denied, show the Ukrainian government’s official support for terrorism in Africa, in the Sahel, and especially Mali,” he stressed.
The Malian government has “thus chosen to terminate diplomatic ties without delay, to escalate the issue to the appropriate legal bodies, and to implement essential actions to thwart any attempt to destabilise the country by terrorists posing as diplomats.” He declared.