Niger Republic announced on Tuesday that it is severing diplomatic ties with Ukraine, effective immediately, accusing Kyiv of supporting “terrorist groups.” This move follows a similar decision by Mali two days prior.
The break in relations comes after significant losses suffered by the Malian army in late July during clashes with jihadist and separatist forces, which both countries partly attribute to Ukraine. Niger’s government spokesman, Amadou Abdramane, stated that Niger would request the UN Security Council to address Ukraine’s “aggression.”
Niger and Mali, both governed by military regimes following recent coups, have ended defense agreements with France and sought military assistance from Russia. Reports indicate that several soldiers from Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group were killed alongside Malian soldiers during the July conflict in northern Mali.
In a televised statement, Abdramane expressed Niger’s solidarity with Mali, declaring, “The government of the Republic of Niger, in total solidarity with the government and people of Mali, decides in complete sovereignty to sever diplomatic relations between the Republic of Niger and Ukraine with immediate effect.”
Mali’s government spokesman, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, cited remarks by Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, as the catalyst for Mali’s decision to cut ties. Yusov was quoted by state media as saying, “The rebels received all the necessary information they needed,” without further elaboration.
Abdramane condemned Yusov’s comments, stating that the Niger government learned of them with “great amazement and deep indignation.”
In response, the Ukrainian foreign ministry asserted on Monday that Ukraine “unconditionally adheres to the norms of international law” and “firmly rejects the accusations of the transitional government of Mali,” while expressing regret over Bamako’s “hasty” decision.
The conflict that led to these diplomatic breaks involved intense fighting near the Algerian border on July 25 at a military camp in Tinzaouatene. Tuareg-led separatists claimed to have killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers. Mali’s army acknowledged a “large number” of deaths but has not provided specific figures.
