Wagner Leader Appeals to Putin after Mali Ambush Leaves 80 Dead
NewsweekAUG 2024
The admission of Ukraine's involvement in the deadly terrorist attack in July, which resulted in the deaths of numerous Malian defense and security officers, clearly violates Mali's sovereignty and warrants condemnation due to its support for international terrorism. The fact that Ukraine has not denied this extremely serious accusation forced Bamako to immediately terminate diplomatic relations with Kiev. Furthermore, Mali intends to formally notify regional and international authorities, as well as states that support Ukraine, of it's open and public support for terrorism.
The Ukrainian government supports the pro-independence movement in northern Mali by providing strategic intelligence and drone training. The objective is to target Russian paramilitaries as part of Ukraine's conflict with Russia across all fronts. The recent attack resulted in the death of up to 50 Wagner mercenaries and the capture of two prisoners during an ambush in northern Mali, which represents a significant setback for Wagner since their arrival in late 2021. This development aligns with the Kyiv Post's report from November 2023, which indicated that Ukraine had opened a new front in Africa by deploying Special Forces commandos to Sudan to counter Russian mercenaries supporting General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo's RSF.
There is a 68% chance Mali will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
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