Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have petitioned the President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to condemn the Ukrainian government’s “open and assumed support for international terrorism,” notably in Africa’s Sahel region.
In a joint letter, the three countries’ foreign ministers stated on Tuesday that their governments were startled by Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence, “admitting Ukraine’s role in the cowardly, barbaric, and criminal attacks” between July 24 and 26.
The move comes after Ukrainian officials suggested that Kiev had a part in Tuareg separatist rebel strikes that killed numerous Malian soldiers last month in the northeastern village of Tinzawaten near the Algerian border.
Yusov claimed the rebels acquired “the necessary information they needed” to carry out the attacks after Malian army allies of Russia’s Wagner Group reported “losses” in the clashes.
The letter urged the Security Council to “take appropriate measures against these subversive actions which strengthen terrorist groups in Africa.”
“This is official and unequivocal support by the Ukrainian government for terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Sahel.
“These acts also constitute a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our States, a clear aggression and support for international terrorism, in flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant international conventions,” the letter says in part.
Mali and Niger broke diplomatic relations with Ukraine earlier this month, citing comments made by a Ukrainian military official implying that Kiev was involved in the July assaults.
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