Mali denounces Ukraine’s involvement in Sahel insecurity at the UN
On September 26, at the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, the Malian Prime Minister denounced what he considers to be Ukraine’s involvement in insecurity in the Sahel. In a forceful speech, Abdoulaye Maïga drew a direct link between the war in Eastern Europe and the expansion of terrorism in West Africa. He recalled the attack on a patrol of Mali’s Defense and Security Forces in Tinzaouatène, in the Kidal region, between July 24 and 26, 2024, an incident attributed to terrorist groups and which some Ukrainian officials had publicly claimed involvement in. According to him, these statements evidenced an instrumentalization of the international stage.
A year later, the head of government says the situation has worsened and accuses Kiev of having become one of the main suppliers of kamikaze drones to terrorist groups around the world. He urged some Western countries to stop their arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that they indirectly facilitate the spread of international terrorism. Abdoulaye Maïga also accused France of using the war in Ukraine to divert the international community’s attention while funding armed groups active in the Sahel.
These statements come in a broader context. On September 15, the justice ministers of the member countries of the Confederation of the Sahel States (AES) announced their intention to bring a case before the International Court of Justice against Ukraine and France. According to them, this initiative aims to curb actions perceived as orchestrated under Paris’s aegis and to contain the terrorist threat. By combining diplomatic recourse with judicial action, Bamako and its Sahelian allies seek to strengthen their call for international awareness of the responsibilities they attribute to Kiev and Paris for the regional instability.