Ukraine denies supplying drones to Mali rebels

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Ukraine has denied allegations that it had provided drones to rebels preventing in opposition to the Malian military and Russia-backed mercenaries.

It comes after Paris-based Le Monde newspaper reported reported that Ukrainian drones have been offering assist for the Tuareg rebels “who’re benefiting from discreet however decisive assist from Kyiv”.

Mali ‘s junta-led authorities ended a long-running alliance with former colonial energy France in 2022 in favour of Russia in a bid to sort out a years-long insurgency within the north.

But it surely has been unable to quell the unrest and lately suffered heavy losses, alongside its Russian allies.

Mali and its neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, the place the navy can be in cost, have since accused Kyiv of supporting terrorism within the Sahel after a Ukrainian official stated earlier this 12 months that the nation had supplied assist to the rebels.

However on Monday, Ukraine’s overseas ministry stated in a press release that the nation “strongly rejects the accusations which have lately been launched by the worldwide media shops concerning the alleged involvement of our state within the provide of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] to the rebels in Mali”.

It additionally denied allegations by Malian and Nigerien officers that Ukraine was arming, offering info and giving “assist to the terrorist coalition”.

It known as for an finish to “spreading of the false info that repeats the pretend narratives of the aggressor state Russia’s propaganda”.

In late July, not less than 84 Russia-backed fighters and 47 Malian troopers have been reportedly killed following days of clashes with Tuareg separatist rebels and fighters linked to al-Qaeda at Tinzaouten, in northern Mali.

It was seen because the heaviest-ever African defeat for the Wagner mercenary group, which has since been renamed Corps Africa.

A spokesman for Kyiv’s navy intelligence service, Andriy Yusov, then stated that the rebels in Mali had “acquired crucial info” to efficiently perform the assault.

Le Monde newspaper experiences that since Yusov’s assertion, the Mali insurgent commanders “have been pressured to reluctantly acknowledge a co-operation they’d have most popular to maintain secret”.

The paper says that the rebels have admitted having “hyperlinks” with Kyiv, though “they weren’t forthcoming concerning the provenance of their drones”.

Mali reduce diplomatic relations with Ukraine in August, within the wake of Yusov’s remarks, with a high official accusing Ukraine of violating the nation’s sovereignty.

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and has been waging a devastating conflict since then.

Dealing with isolation by Western international locations due to the conflict, it has been searching for to realize affect in Africa by establishing political and safety hyperlinks, together with in Mali.