Niger cuts diplomatic ties with Ukraine

KIGALI, Rwanda

Niger announced Tuesday an “immediate” end to its diplomatic relations with Ukraine over Kyiv’s alleged support of Malian “terrorist groups.”

The move came days after Mali severed relations with Ukraine over the same accusation.

In a statement on national television, Niger’s government spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane said the matter would be referred to the UN Security Council as a case of “Ukrainian aggression.”

The diplomatic impasse follows a defeat of the Malian Armed Forces during clashes with separatist rebels at the end of July.

Mali announced Sunday that it was cutting off diplomatic relations with Ukraine following an admission of Ukrainian involvement in a recent deadly terrorist attack in the West African country.

The Malian army admitted Monday that it had suffered a high death toll following clashes in Tinzaouaten in the north of the country, while the Russian-affiliated Wagner Group supporting the Malian army had confirmed Russian losses and the death of a commander following heavy fighting there.

Mali said it considered support for Ukraine “as support for international terrorism” and an aggression which is part of “the broader pattern of certain actors who actively support and instrumentalize terrorist groups in the region.”

The diplomatic blow coincides with the visit of Ukraine’s foreign minister, who started a fourth tour of African countries this week seeking to strengthen ties with the region.

Dmytro Kuleba embarked on a tour including Malawi, Zambia and Mauritius on Sunday that is expected to end on Thursday, where he will meet with the heads of state of the three countries and his counterparts.

Earlier this year, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso under their recent formation the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) announced the creation of a joint military force to counter their spiraling security challenges posed by terrorist groups.