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Mali’s air force chief accuses Ukraine of aiding rebels in recent deadly clashes with troops in Bamako
Mali’s defense cooperation with Russia has helped the West African country regain control of large tracts of territory previously occupied by armed groups, the chief of staff of the air force in Bamako told RTVI.
Brigadier General Alou Boy Diarra told Russian media that Mali has been split in two, with armed coalitions occupying about half of the country’s territory over the past decade.
“But today we can happily say that the Malian armed forces and our country have captured these territories and are in control of almost all of our country’s territory,” the air force commander said.
“Thanks to cooperation with Russia, we have acquired powerful weapons, which are crucial for our current situation. Russia also sends instructors to our country to assist us in the operation and combat use of this equipment, telling us how to best use it,” he added.
The landlocked country has been mired in a deadly jihadist insurgency since 2012 that France’s decade-long security mission has failed to quell. The violence has spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, prompting military rulers there to join Mali in severing defense ties with France. All three former French colonies recently formed the Alliance of Sahel States and turned to Moscow for security cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Bamako and Niamey cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine earlier this month after officials in Kiev claimed they had provided intelligence to Tuareg rebels that led to an ambush near the Algerian border in late July that killed dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner Group contractors.
On Wednesday, Mali’s air force commander told RTVI that the country had no choice but to sever ties with Kiev over its alleged support for terrorists involved in deadly clashes with national forces.
“It is unacceptable when a foreign country declares its involvement in an armed conflict with the Malian armed forces on Malian territory that results in the death of Malian soldiers,” Diarra said.
Although Kiev denies involvement in the attack, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have protested to the UN Security Council against Ukraine, asking it to take “appropriate measures” against Kiev for its “subversive actions” that strengthen the terrorist groups and contribute to the expansion of terrorism in the Sahel region.
（RT.com）
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