Niger Republic Severs Ties with Ukraine, Accuses Kyiv of Terrorist Support

Niger Republic Severs Ties with Ukraine, Accuses Kyiv of Terrorist Support

The Niger Republic announced Tuesday it is cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine immediately, alleging Kyiv’s support for “terrorist groups.” This decision follows a similar move by Mali just two days prior.

Niger’s government spokesperson, Amadou Abdramane, made the announcement on national television, stating the country will also request the UN Security Council to discuss Ukraine’s “aggression.”

This diplomatic rupture comes in the aftermath of significant losses suffered by the Malian army in late July, during clashes with jihadists and separatist forces. Mali’s government partly blamed Ukraine for these losses.

Both Niger and Mali are governed by military regimes that came to power through recent coups. These governments have since dissolved defense agreements with France and sought military assistance from Russia.

Reports indicate that several members of Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group were killed alongside Malian soldiers in the July skirmish in northern Mali.

“The government of the Republic of Niger, in total solidarity with the government and people of Mali, decides in complete sovereignty to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine with immediate effect,” Abdramane stated.

Mali’s government spokesperson, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, previously cited remarks by Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency GUR, as a reason for Mali’s break in relations. Yusov reportedly claimed that “the rebels received all the necessary information they needed,” without further elaboration.

Abdramane expressed Niger’s “great amazement and deep indignation” at Yusov’s comments.

In response, Ukraine’s foreign ministry affirmed its commitment to international law and rejected Mali’s accusations. The ministry also regretted Bamako’s “hasty” decision.

The diplomatic tensions are set against the backdrop of intense fighting that erupted near the Algerian border on July 25 at a military camp in Tinzaouatene. Tuareg-led separatists claimed to have killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers. While Mali’s army acknowledged suffering significant casualties, it has yet to release specific figures.