Mali has announced it is severing diplomatic ties with Ukraine, following a claim by a Ukrainian military official that Kyiv may have been involved in recent deadly fighting near the Algerian border.
The clashes, which occurred last month, saw dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group killed.
A spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence, Andriy Yusov, suggested that the rebels had received “the necessary information” from Ukraine to carry out the attacks. This statement prompted Mali to accuse Ukraine of interfering in its internal affairs.
A top Malian official, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, expressed shock at the claims, saying, “We are shocked by these claims. Ukraine’s comments admitted their involvement in a cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups that led to the deaths of Malian soldiers.” He added that Mali was breaking off diplomatic relations with Ukraine “with immediate effect.”
The fighting took place near Tinzaouaten, a town on the border with Algeria, and saw Malian and Russian forces ambushed by Tuareg rebels and fighters from the al-Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin. The Malian army admitted it suffered “significant” losses during the clashes, which began on July 25.
