After Mali, Niger cuts diplomatic ties with Ukraine

Niger has snapped diplomatic ties with Ukraine "with immediate effect", accusing Kiev of supporting "terrorist groups".

The decision comes on Tuesday, two days after Mali also broke ties with Ukraine in the wake of heavy losses suffered by the Malian army and reported Wagner militia in late July at the hands of rebels and separatist forces.

Niger, which, like Mali, is run by the military, said it would ask the UN Security Council to debate Ukraine's "aggression", government spokesperson Amadou Abdramane said in a televised statement.

Mali also accused Ukraine of aiding armed groups, which the Malian army is fighting.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Mali had cut ties without a thorough review of the situation and without providing evidence of the country’s involvement in the attack.

Niger went through a military coup in July 2023, which overthrew president Mohamed Bazoum. The military junta took over since then.

After the coup, Niger's ties with both France and the US have been soured. Like Mali and Burkina Faso, the country's relations with Russia have strengthened.

Niger has been battling militant violence for years, notably Daesh and al Qaeda.

On Monday, United States military completed its withdrawal from Air Base 201 in Niger, after Niger ordered nearly 1,000 US military personnel to leave.

Air Base 201, a drone base near Agadez in central Niger that was built at a cost of $100M, had provided crucial intelligence about militant groups before the coup, American officials say.

Ukraine's footprints in Africa

On Monday, Ukraine condemned Mali's decision to sever relations as short-sighted and hasty, saying Kiev rejected the allegation of Ukrainian support for international terrorism.

The row stems from televised remarks by Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military spy agency, who said that Malian rebels had received the "necessary" information to conduct the attack.

Niger, Mali and others in West Africa have also condemned comments about the fighting by Ukraine's ambassador to Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast and Liberia.

Senegal's foreign minister summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Yurii Pyvovarov on Friday over a video it said the Ukrainian embassy had posted on its Facebook page in which Pyvovarov provided "unequivocal and unqualified support for the terrorist attack" in Mali.

The spat comes as Ukraine has been trying to win over global support and in particular to broaden its appeal in the Global South.