Mali announces severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine
Malian authorities have accused Ukraine of supporting terrorism.
According to Censor.NET, citing Interfax-Ukraine, this is stated in a communiqué published on Sunday by the transitional government of the African state.
"The transitional government of the Republic of Mali was deeply shocked to learn of the subversive statements made by Mr Andriy Yusov... the spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence admitted Ukraine's participation in the cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups that killed members of the Malian Defence and Security Forces," the communiqué reads.
The document goes on to state that "Ukraine's Ambassador to Senegal, Yuriy Pyvovarov, has openly and unequivocally stated his country's support for international terrorism, in particular in Mali".
Thus, the Transitional Government of Mali emphasises that "the actions of the Ukrainian authorities violate the sovereignty of Mali... and constitute a clear aggression against Mali and support for international terrorism, in flagrant violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations".
Mali's transitional government has decided to "immediately sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine," said government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, Le Figaro reports.
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Mali were established on 5 November 1992, and the interests of Ukrainian citizens in the country are represented by the Ukrainian Embassy in Algeria.
To recap, according to the French newspaper Le Monde, Ukrainian special services are training Tuareg people to fly drones.
