Mali's decision to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine is "regrettable," as Mali's transitional government has not provided evidence that proves Ukraine's involvement in an alleged incident between Wagner mercenaries and Tuareg rebels, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Aug. 5.
"Ukraine unconditionally adheres to the norms of international law, the inviolability of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries," the Foreign Ministry said.
Mali broke diplomatic ties with Ukraine over its alleged support of Tuareg-led rebels, after reports that Malian soldiers and Wagner Group mercenaries suffered significant battle losses in recent clashes with anti-government groups.
Abbey Fenbert
Heavy fighting broke out in northern Mali in late July, with anti-government fighters reporting that they destroyed "the entire column of the Malian army and Russian mercenaries."
Andrii Yusov, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) spokesperson, alluded to possible cooperation between Ukrainian intelligence services and the Mali rebels during a television broadcast on July 29.
The rebels "received useful information, and not just that, which allowed them to carry out a successful military operation against Russian war criminals," Yusov said.
Malian government spokesperson Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga said Yusov's statement was an admission of "Ukraine's involvement in a cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups."
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry described the move to sever ties as "hasty" and "regrettable" as the decision was made "without conducting a thorough study of the facts and circumstances of the incident in the north of Mali, and without providing any evidence of Ukraine's involvement in the said event."
Daria Shulzhenko
The Foreign Ministry also rejected Mali's claim that Ukraine supported international terrorism and emphasized that the Wagner Group uses "terrorist methods."
Wagner mercenaries are "directly involved in numerous war crimes, killings of civilians, and cruel treatment of prisoners of war both in Ukraine and in African countries," the Foreign Ministry added.
The West African nation of Mali has been the subject of a significant Russian influence campaign since the Malian army overthrew the government in a coup in 2021.
The Wagner mercenary group, founded by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been particularly active in Mali and has been accused of perpetrating war crimes and widespread looting.
Wagner Group affiliates later confirmed that the mercenaries suffered significant losses in the clashes.
The French news outlet Le Monde reported on Aug. 1 that Ukrainian special services had cooperated with the Tuareg-led fighters, including providing training on drone operations.
Mali's decision to sever ties with Kyiv came just before Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in Malawi, the first stop on his fourth regional tour of African nations.
Kuleba will visit Malawi, Zambia, and Mauritius from Aug. 4 to Aug. 8.
Nate Ostiller
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