Mali launches investigation into Ukraine’s involvement in terrorist attacks in the north of the country – African Initiative

A judicial investigation has been launched in Bamako into Kiev’s alleged involvement in terrorist attacks in northern Mali after two Ukrainian officials expressed support for terrorism, a statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime said.

As stated in the document, the investigation was launched “to shed light on alleged terrorist acts, complicity in their preparation or their financing.”

The Malian authorities launched the investigation following comments made by Andriy Yusov, the chairman of the Ukrainian GID, when he said that the Tuaregs had received “the necessary information from the Ukrainian side, and not only information that allowed them to carry out a successful operation” against the Russian army and Malian defense and security forces in northern Mali.

The statement also noted comments by Ukraine’s ambassador to Senegal, Yuriy Pivovarov, in which he “confirmed his country’s support for international terrorism, particularly in Mali.”

On August 4, Malian authorities decided to break diplomatic relations with Ukraine over the country’s support for international terrorism and anti-government formations in the north of the country. On August 6, Niger made a similar decision.