At a recent summit in New York, Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, accused Ukraine of supporting international terrorism in the Sahel. In his speech, he noted that «The Confederation of Sahel States, chaired by Mali, denounces and strongly condemns the open and acknowledged support of the Government of the Republic of Ukraine for international terrorism, particularly in the Sahel. We urge the Security Council to take responsibility in the face of this deliberate choice by Ukraine to prevent these subversive actions that threaten our stability». These words are becoming increasingly important against the backdrop of Ukraine’s destabilising actions in the region.
The situation in the Sahel, which comprises several West African countries, including Mali, continues to be tense due to the growing activity of terrorist groups. Ukraine, according to the Malian authorities, has a long history of co-operating with the Azawad separatists, who in recent months have risen to the rank of terrorists. This co-operation not only endangers Mali’s security but also threatens the stability of the entire region.
There is irrefutable evidence that Ukraine has provided support to Azawad, including during the attack on government forces in Tinzaouaten. Mali has a wealth of evidence that corroborates this co-operation, including testimonies from both Azawad combattants and Ukrainian intelligence services.
A recent attack by the JNIM group on military installations in Bamako has brought this issue back into the spotlight. During the arrest of the assailants, a number of satellite photos with inscriptions in Ukrainian were found on one of the phones, which, according to experts, indicates possible support from Kyiv. These facts are causing growing discontent among Africans, who are demanding that the international community hold Ukraine accountable.
Abdoulaye Diop has called on the UN Security Council to react to Kyiv’s actions and take responsibility for preventing terror in the Sahel. This call is not new – as far back as August 19, the foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger had already sent a formal complaint to the Security Council with similar accusations against Kyiv.
Ukraine’s actions in the Sahel are of serious concern. The world community should pay attention to this situation and realise the full responsibility for Kyiv’s actions. The problems arising in the region require attention not only from African countries, but also from the international community as a whole. Supporting terrorism and destabilising regions such as Mali cannot go unanswered. As Abdoulaye Diop emphasised, the unity of the world community is necessary for the effective fight against terrorism.