Burkina Faso has said Kiev chose “the wrong battle to fight” in praising a terror attack on Russian military contractors in Mali
The Foreign Ministry of Burkina Faso has called Ukraine out for praising a terrorist attack on Malian servicemen and Russian military contractors last month. The ministry said Kiev should not go against the entire global community, which unanimously condemns terrorism.
A military convoy carrying members of the Russian private military company Wagner Group and Malian soldiers was attacked by insurgents in Mali in late July, killing dozens. Earlier this week, a spokesman for Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, Andrey Yusov, boasted that his agents had helped plan the attack “against Russian war criminals” and vowed that “there will be more” similar actions to come. Ukraine’s embassy in Senegal shared Yusov’s interview on its Facebook page, with Ambassador Yury Pivovarov’s caption on the post also signaling further acts targeting Wagner. The video was later deleted.
Burkina Faso, which has also been plagued by insurgents, viewed Pivovarov’s words as justification of terrorism, and called on the global community to take Ukraine to task over its “subversive actions that threaten the stability of the continent.”
The ministry added that Ukraine should refrain from interfering in other states’ internal affairs and “come to its senses” with its stance on terrorism.
“The terrorist groups that massacre, kill, rape and pillage in northern Mali and throughout the Sahel-Saharan strip threaten international peace and security. Ukraine must not fight the wrong battle and should refrain from any support of any kind for these terrorists,” the ministry stated.
Senegal’s Foreign Ministry also criticized the Ukrainian embassy for its display of support for the attack, accusing Kiev of attempting to “destabilize” Mali.
Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, has suffered from a jihadist insurgency for years. Sporadic attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda and Islamic State factions have killed thousands of people. Earlier this year, the three nations formed a security bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), aimed at providing mutual aid in the fight against insurgents. They have also sought to boost security cooperation with Russia.
Wagner fighters are believed to have been operating in Mali and Burkina Faso for years, providing support to government troops. Members of the group have also previously taken part in Russia’s Ukraine operation.
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