Mali ended its diplomatic relations with Ukraine on Sunday, a few days after a Ukrainian intelligence spokesman appeared to take some credit for a rebel ambush that left dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner fighters dead.
Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, the government spokesman, read the announcement. Mali learned “with deep shock” of the remarks, he said, and the break would take effect “with immediate effect”. He accused Kyiv of violating Mali’s sovereignty and of unacceptable foreign interference and support for international terrorism.
What the Ukrainian spokesman said
On July 29, Andriy Yusov, who speaks for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, told the public broadcaster Suspilne that the Malian rebels had received “all the information they needed, which allowed [them] to carry out their operation against the Russian war criminals”. Maiga’s statement said Yusov had “admitted Ukraine’s involvement in a cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups”. Al Jazeera noted that Yusov did not directly confirm any Ukrainian role in the fighting.
Mali also pointed to remarks by Yurii Pyvovarov, Ukraine’s ambassador to Senegal. Senegal summoned him on Saturday over a Facebook video in which, Mali said, he gave “unequivocal and unqualified support for the terrorist attack”.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry answered on Monday. It denied any involvement in the northern Mali fighting and called the break “short-sighted and hasty”, saying Bamako had acted without studying the facts. “Ukraine unconditionally adheres to the norms of international law, the inviolability of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries,” the ministry said.
The fighting at Tinzaouaten
Three days of heavy clashes began on July 25 at a military camp at Tinzaouatene, close to the Algerian border. Reports say Malian and Russian forces fell back from the town and were caught in an ambush by Tuareg rebels and fighters from Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaeda affiliate, while they waited for reinforcements.
Nobody has published exact casualty figures. Mali’s army has conceded only that it lost a “large number” of men. Wagner, which has since been reorganised as the Africa Corps, confirmed that one commander died and a Russian helicopter was shot down in “fierce fighting” against about 1,000 fighters. Outside estimates of Wagner dead run from 20 to 80. The Tuareg-led separatists said they killed 84 Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers. It is thought to be Wagner’s worst loss in Mali since it arrived about two years ago.
Background
Mali’s central government lost control of much of the north more than a decade ago, after a Tuareg rebellion driven by a demand for a separate state. Islamist militants later joined the conflict. The military officers who took power in the 2020 and 2021 coups said the civilian government had failed to contain the unrest. They ended the long alliance with France, the former colonial ruler, and turned to Russia.
Wagner has operated in Mali since late 2021, replacing French troops and international peacekeepers. The group is thought to have about 1,000 fighters there and has been accused of helping carry out raids and drone strikes that killed civilians. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by phone this week with his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop, and repeated Moscow’s support for Bamako.
Sources
- Mali cuts diplomatic ties with Ukraine over Wagner-attack claims
- Mali cuts diplomatic ties with Ukraine over Wagner attack controversy
