Mali Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Ukraine

MOSCOW, Aug 5 (Bernama-Sputnik) -- Mali has severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine, the Malian transition government announced, reported Sputnik. 

"After Ukraine's confirmed alleged participation in an overt aggression against Mali, the transition government of the Republic of Mali decides on the following measures: an immediate break of the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Mali and Ukraine," the government said in a statement published by Malian Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Abdoulaye Maiga, late Sunday.

The transition government has also decided to notify world governments, including countries supporting Kyiv, that Ukraine "publicly supports terrorism", causing Mali to consider "support for Ukraine to be support for terrorism," the statement added.

"The Malian transition government fully supports the diagnosis established by Russia, which for years has been warning the world of the neo-Nazi and villainous nature of the Ukrainian authorities, now allies of global terrorists," the statement said, adding that the actions of the Ukrainian government are far from "the Ukrainian people's aspirations for peace and stability".

The transition government said it would also take measures to prevent attempts at the country's destabilisation from other African states, in particular, from Ukrainian embassies in the African region and with the participation of "terrorists disguised as diplomats".

On Saturday, the Senegalese Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's ambassador to the country, Yuri Pivovarov, over his expressed support for militants in northern Mali who inflicted heavy losses on government forces.

Earlier the same day, nine Senegalese public organisations said in a statement that a video published by Ukraine's defence intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov, confirming Kyiv's involvement in the attack on the Russian private military company Wagner Group in Mali, was another confirmation of Kyiv's support for armed groups. They also condemned Ukraine for training militants in Africa and called on the international community to hold Kyiv accountable.

In late July, the Wagner Group said that it had suffered losses after fierce clashes with Tuareg militants in Mali on July 22 to 27. The Malian Armed Forces also reported heavy losses during the clashes.

On July 30, the Senenews media outlet reported that the authorities of Mali and Mauritania were investigating the involvement of Ukrainian military instructors in the year-long conflict in Mali on the side of the rebels. Earlier the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the fact that Ukraine was cooperating with terrorists from the Sahel region was not surprising, and Moscow actively drew the attention of the international community to such actions by Kyiv.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK