During the 50th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held on August 29-30 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Mali used the opportunity to voice strong criticism against Kyiv.
Abdoulaye Diop, Mali’s foreign minister, reiterated accusations that Ukraine is fostering terrorism in the Sahel region. He stated, “The remarks made by the spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence and the Ukrainian ambassador to Senegal clearly indicate Ukraine’s active role as a supporter of international terrorism.”
Ukrainian officials have claimed that Ukraine supplied support to the rebels from the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA) during clashes in Tinzaouatène, northern Mali, between July 25 and 29. These statements led both Mali and Niger to sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine.
According to Minister Diop, Ukraine’s actions confirm that some of the weapons supplied to Kyiv by Western powers are exacerbating terrorism and crime in the Sahel, posing a “threat to international peace and stability.” He pointed out that the attacks in northern Mali are executed by “a coalition of terrorist groups collaborating with armed factions operating in the Sahel and supported by external strategic sponsors.”
In response to these concerns, the foreign ministers of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have formally presented the issue to the United Nations Security Council and the OIC General Secretariat, urging the OIC to firmly condemn these aggressive acts and support for terrorism.
The Minister welcomed the OIC’s decision to remove Ukraine’s application for observer status from the agenda, asserting that Ukraine “has no place in the Islamic Ummah.”
In this context, Diop emphasized the recent formation of the Sahel States Confederation (AES), which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. He remarked that the AES, currently chaired by Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goïta, “remains open to partnerships that align with the dynamics of liberation, emancipation, sovereignty, and respect.”
Additionally, he noted that the OIC “is not in competition with anyone, nor in confrontation with anyone,” but seeks to “promote the values of peace, security, solidarity, mutual assistance, integration of peoples, and development.”
Diop called for the collective solidarity of the OIC with the AES and urged that future resolutions from the organization be “more precise and reflective of the realities on the ground.” He highlighted the military successes achieved by the armed forces of the three AES countries in their fight against terrorism.
AC/te/lb/abj/APA