Mali cuts off diplomatic ties with Ukraine for terror attack
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Mali accuses Ukraine of violating the nation's sovereignty and breaching international law following its involvement in an attack that killed Malian soldiers
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Colonel and interim president Assimi Goita speaks at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Mali's independence in Bamako on September 22, 2020. (AFP)
The Malian interim government announced it is cutting off its diplomatic relations with Ukraine following Kiev's involvement in a recent terrorist attack that killed Malian soldiers and Russian military contractors in support of the Tuareg militants.
Ukrainian military intelligence service spokesperson (GUR) Andrey Yusov stated on national television that his agents assisted the militants with “necessary information, and not just information, which enabled a successful military operation against Russian war criminals,” pledging that “there will be more to come.”
The interview, which has been deleted, was posted on the Ukrainian embassy in Senegal's Facebook page, where Ambassador Yury Pivovarov commented “There will certainly be other results.”
The Malian government expressed shock concerning Ukraine's involvement in “a cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric attack," according to a statement released by local media on Sunday, adding that Pivovarov’s comments show “his country’s support for international terrorism, particularly in Mali.”
Violation of Malian sovereignty
The transitional government accused Kiev of violating the sovereignty of Mali since its actions “go beyond the scope of foreign interference” by breaching international law.
In response to “Ukraine’s acknowledged and assumed involvement in the blatant aggression against Mali,” Bamako decided to immediately sever the diplomatic relations between Mali and Ukraine while instigating legal action following Yusov and Pivovarov's statements which “constitute acts of terrorism and advocacy of terrorism.”
The statement added the government will be taking precautions “to prevent any destabilization of Mali from African states, particularly from Ukrainian embassies,” and issue “a formal alert” “to regional and international bodies, as well as to states supporting Ukraine, indicating that this country has openly and publicly displayed its support for terrorism.”
Despite assuming a neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, Mali has stated it supports Moscow's warning to the world following “the neo-Nazi and villainous nature of the Ukrainian authorities.”
