Ukraine says diplomatic break with Mali and Niger won’t affect its relations with other African countries

The decision by Mali and Niger to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine shouldn’t impact Ukraine’s developing relationship with a range of other African countries, stated Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, according to Interfax.

“This is a separate bloc of countries that acted as they decided. However, despite this, Ukraine is actively implementing its African strategy,” Tykhyi outlined. The negative decisions of two African states hasn’t affected ongoing negotiations with nations such as Malawi, Zambia, and Mauritius, which Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited during his fourth African tour from August 4th to 8th, the spokesperson added.

The statements coming from Mali and Niger strongly indicate a Russian influence, according to the Foreign Ministry’s assessment. “We fully understand these countries, their ties with Russia, and how dependent they are on Russia. Of course, we understand that these decisions were not made solely by these countries,” Tykhyi explained.

Mali and Niger severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine on August 4th and 6th, respectively, due to alleged support by Kyiv for Tuareg rebel groups. In late July, the group “Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development” (CSP-DPA) had reportedly killed dozens of government soldiers and mercenaries belonging to the infamous Russian Wagner private military company.

Ukraine stated that the accusations “are baseless, unfounded, and do not reflect reality.”