The military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have jointly addressed the United Nations Security Council, accusing Ukraine of supporting rebel groups in the Sahel region of West Africa, according to a statement from Mali’s foreign ministry.
This move follows the severing of diplomatic relations between Mali and Ukraine in early August. The break was triggered by remarks from Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, who commented on clashes in northern Mali that led to the deaths of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner mercenaries. Yusov suggested that Malian rebels had received crucial intelligence for their military operations.
Mali and Niger perceived Yusov’s statements as an indication of Ukraine’s direct involvement in the conflict, leading them to accuse Ukraine of supporting international terrorism. In solidarity with Mali, Niger also cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine shortly after.
Ukraine has firmly denied these allegations, calling them baseless. The Ukrainian foreign ministry has not yet responded to the latest developments. The country remains deeply engaged in conflict with Russia, more than two years after Moscow’s invasion.
In response to the accusations, a Tuareg rebel alliance in northern Mali has denied receiving any support from Ukraine. The Tuareg rebels, who claimed responsibility for the deaths of at least 84 Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers in July, are part of a complex conflict involving both separatist and jihadist groups. An al-Qaeda affiliate also reported killing 50 Wagner mercenaries and 10 Malian soldiers in a separate attack during the same period.
In their letter to the UN Security Council, the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have urged the international body to hold Ukraine accountable and to address actions they claim could destabilize the region. The letter, which was shared on social media by Mali’s foreign ministry, was circulated among the 15-member Security Council on Tuesday evening.
In recent years, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have shifted their alliances, moving away from traditional Western and regional partners and increasingly aligning with Russia following military coups in the past four years.
The July attacks in northern Mali’s Kidal region, near the Algerian border, represent one of Wagner’s most significant setbacks since its involvement began two years ago in support of the Malian junta’s fight against jihadist insurgents.
The Tuareg people, an ethnic group native to the Sahara region, including northern Mali, have a long history of separatist movements. A 2012 rebellion led by Tuareg separatists was later overshadowed by Islamist militant groups, who pushed the conflict back into the arid north.
