Niger's military junta, led by Colonel Abdourahamane Amadou, announced on Wednesday the immediate severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine 'in solidarity with people of Mali.' This decision, conveyed in Niamey, comes in solidarity with Mali, following allegations that Ukraine supported Tuareg rebels involved in recent clashes.

Colonel Amadou, a spokesperson for the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), stated, "Considering the seriousness of the situation and the acknowledged and assumed involvement of Ukraine in the aggression against Mali, the Government of the Republic of Niger, in full sovereignty, has decided to terminate diplomatic relations with Ukraine with immediate effect." He also announced plans to refer the issue to the United Nations Security Council.

Amadou criticised remarks by Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andrew Youssef and Ukrainian ambassador to Senegal, Yuri Pivovarov, who allegedly supported a coalition of terrorist groups responsible for attacks on Malian forces. He condemned these actions as support for international terrorism and a violation of international law.

This diplomatic rift follows significant losses suffered by the Malian Armed Forces in clashes with separatist rebels in late July, particularly in Tinzaouaten. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, through their newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have previously established a joint military force to combat security threats from terrorist groups in the region.