Ukraine seeks support from the Global South, but several West African states are abandoning Western ties to turn to Russia.
Russia accused Ukraine of opening a “second front” in the war between them in Africa, after Mali and Niger broke diplomatic relations with Kiev, accusing it of supporting “terrorist groups”.
Moscow’s statement followed an announcement by Niger’s military government on Tuesday that it had cut ties with Ukraine. Several West African states have recently abandoned long-standing ties with the West to turn to Russia.
Niamey said on Tuesday that the change in relations with Ukraine would happen “with immediate effect”.
The move is in line with that of neighboring Mali’s military government, which on Sunday announced it was cutting ties with Kiev over its role in an attack in the north of the country in which Tuareg rebels said they killed dozens of Wagner mercenaries and Malian soldiers.
Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military spy agency, said the Malian rebels received the information “necessary” to carry out the operation.
“The government of the Republic of Niger has learned, with great astonishment and deep indignation, of Mr. Andriy Yusov’s subversive and unacceptable comments,” said Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for Niger’s military government, in announcing the diplomatic rupture.
Niger will ask the United Nations Security Council to debate Ukraine’s “aggression”, he added.
On Monday, Ukraine condemned Mali’s decision to cut ties as short-sighted and hasty, saying Kiev rejected the allegation of Ukrainian support for international terrorism. Ukraine did not immediately respond about Niger’s move.
Niger and Mali are both ruled by military governments that seized power in recent coups. Both have since broken defense agreements with France and turned to Russia for military support.
“Unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, the criminal regime of Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opened a second front in Africa,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to the RIA Novosti news agency, when accusing Ukraine of “favoring terrorist groups”. in countries on the continent friendly to Moscow.”
Significant hit
On 25 July, three days of intense fighting broke out near the border between Mali and Algeria, at a military camp in Tinzaouatene. The Tuareg-led separatists said they killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers.
The Malian army admitted it had suffered a “large number” of deaths during the fighting, but did not release figures.
In addition to condemning Yusov’s comments, Niger, Mali and other West African countries criticized those of Ukraine’s ambassador to Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast and Liberia.
Senegal’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Yurii Pyvovarov on Friday over a video it said the Ukrainian embassy had posted on its Facebook page, in which Pyvovarov provided “unequivocal and unqualified support for the terrorist attack” on Mali.
The spat is seen as a significant blow to Ukraine’s efforts to gain global support as it defends itself against Russia’s invasion and, in particular, to broaden its appeal in the Global South.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
