Aid for rebels

Mali breaks off relations with Ukraine

A pro-Russian rally in Mali: the country's military leadership is relying on Russian help in the fight against rebels and jihadist groups.(Bild: APA/AFP/FLORENT VERGNES)

As the Ukrainian government is apparently supporting separatist forces in Mali, the military junta in the West African state has now broken off all diplomatic relations with Ukraine.

This was announced on Sunday by the transitional government's spokesman, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga. According to Bamako, the reason is that a high-ranking Ukrainian official has admitted Kiev's "involvement" in a heavy defeat of the Malian army and the Russian paramilitary group Wagner in the north of the country at the end of July.

Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga(Bild: APA/AFP/ORTM)

According to the rebels, 84 fighters from the Russian mercenary group Wagner and 47 government soldiers were killed in fighting near the Algerian border between July 25 and 27. The Malian army admitted that it had suffered a "large number" of casualties in the fighting in the north of the country. 

Russian mercenaries in Mali
The military leadership of the West African country, which came to power in a coup in 2020, has set itself the goal of reconquering the country from separatists and jihadist groups. In recent years, the military rulers in Bamako have relied primarily on the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which is active in numerous countries around the world as an extension of the Kremlin.