Mali Orders Swedish Ambassador To Leave Within 72 Hours

The Mali Transitional Government has ordered Sweden’s ambassador to Bamako to leave the country within 72 hours.

According to Mali’s foreign ministry on Friday, this is due to a statement by a Swedish minister considered to be “hostile”.

On Wednesday, Sweden’s minister for international development cooperation and trade, Johan Forssell, said that the Swedish government had decided to phase out aid to Mali.

Forssell said the decision was in reaction to Mali’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine. He argued that Mali’s decision demonstrates support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

However, West Africa Weekly reported earlier this week that Mali severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine because the latter provided support for terrorists who killed 42 Malian soldiers and several Russian mercenaries.

Forssell, silent on the killing of Malian soldiers by Ukraine-backed Tuareg rebels, said his country would no longer provide development aids to Mali because it allegedly supports “Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine”.

Niger had also severed ties with Ukraine over its support for terrorists. Both countries alongside Burkina Faso had evicted French and American troops from their countries.

The trio have also exited the Economic Community of West African States and formed a bloc called Alliance of Sahel States (AES), as they turn to Russia for support in their counterterrorism fight.

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Oluwatobi Odeyinka

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