The foreign ministers from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have turned to the United Nations Security Council, urging concrete steps in response to what they describe as Ukrainian support for terrorism in Africa, a move reported in a joint letter from the three nations. The communication, cited by RIA Novosti, frames the request as a call to hold Kiev accountable for actions that threaten regional stability.
In their message, the ministers reiterate that Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso strongly condemn the support and public celebration of terrorism by the Ukrainian authorities. They urge the Security Council to exercise its responsibilities and push back against what they characterize as Kyiv’s role in fostering terrorism in Africa, with particular emphasis on the Sahel region’s security challenges.
Earlier, Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, suggested that several African states are recognizing the terrorist aspects attributed to the Ukrainian government, noting in particular Mali and Niger’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine as evidence of this shift.
On August 8, Kyiv labeled Niger’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine as an act of aggression, a stance reported in various outlets reaching regional audiences.
A former political analyst commented on how Ukraine has sought to involve African nations in its broader confrontation with Russia, outlining the avenues it has pursued to build cooperation, influence, and political alignment across the continent. [Source: various contemporaneous reports]