Ukraine denies arming Mali rebels following reports
Ukraine has denied late on October 14th that it has been supplying drones to rebels in the North of Mali, according to the Arab Weekly and agencies. French newspaper Le Monde reported that Tuareg fighters use the drones with “discreet but decisive” support from Kyiv against Mali’s Russia-backed government.
“Ukraine strongly rejects the accusations that have recently been released by the international media outlets about the alleged involvement of our state in the supply of UAVs to the rebels in Mali,” said Ukraine’s foreign ministry, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Russia has accused of Ukraine of opening a “second front” against it by supporting opponents of Russian allies in Africa. Moscow has been waging a deadly war in Ukraine since February 2022, which has killed thousands, mostly Ukrainian.
Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for the Ukrainian intelligence agency GUR, has not confirmed Ukrainian involvement in combat, but has said the rebels received all “necessary” information to carry out the attack. Mali cut ties with Ukraine in August following the statement.
Mali said Yusov had “admitted Ukraine’s involvement in a cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups that resulted in the death of members of the Malian Defence and Security Forces.”
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“The actions taken by the Ukrainian authorities violate the sovereignty of Mali, go beyond the scope of foreign interference, which is already condemnable in itself, and constitute a clear aggression by Mali and support for international terrorism,” the Malian government said.
It also referred to comments by Ukraine’s ambassador to Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast and Liberia. Senegal’s foreign minister summoned Ukraine’s Ambassador Yurii Pyvovarov on October 11th over a video it claimed Ukraine’s embassy had posted on Facebook in which Pyvovarov provided “unequivocal and unqualified support for the terrorist attack” in Mali.
Arab Weekly and agencies
