The Confederation of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, has formally accused Ukraine of supporting international terrorism in the Sahel region, urging the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action against Ukraine.
In a joint letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the AES governments denounced what they described as Ukraine’s “explicit support” for international terrorism, particularly in the Sahel Region.
AES’s accusations came after public comments by Ukrainian officials that supported terrorists’ attack against Malian soldiers and Russian mercenary Wagner Group in Mali. The Ukrainian officials involved are the spokesperson for Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Agency, Andry Yusov, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Senegal, Yurii Pyvovarov.
According to the AES letter, Pyvovarov comments “announced further attacks to come.” The alliance asserted that such a statement goes beyond “foreign interference” to that of official and deliberate support for terrorism in Africa by Ukraine. AES governments said they considered this “Ukrainian support” a severe breach of the UN Charter and international law, which prohibits support for terrorism.
AES called on the UN Security Council to fulfil its role in maintaining global security and peace by taking appropriate measures against Ukraine.
This development highlights the growing concerns of the Sahel nations over external interference and the ongoing threat of terrorism in the region.
Following the comments by Ukraine’s spokesperson about providing Malian rebels with “all the information they needed” in the heavy attack against Malian Soldiers and the Wagner Group in July, the Sahel states cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine.
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