Following an attack in the northern Malian town of Tinzawaten in July 2024 by Tuareg separatist rebels that killed Malian soldiers, the AES called on the United Nations Security Council to denounce the Ukrainian government’s “open and assumed support for international terrorism”.

Ukrainian intelligence official, Andriy Yusov, acknowledged Ukraine’s involvement in what Malian government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga described as a “cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups.”

Speaking on Ukrainian television, Yusov said, “[The attackers] have received the necessary information to enable them to carry out a successful military operation against Russian war criminals”.

Also, the Ukrainian embassy in Senegal expressed support for the attacks in a Facebook post, which was subsequently removed. The Senegalese government summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in their country for an explanation.

While convening with Russian officials, Diop highlighted progress in fighting terrorist threats in his country and announced plans to form a united Sahelian Confederation Force to ensure regional security.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov supported the plan, pledging readiness to assist in equipping AES forces with needed weapons.