Videos purportedly show dozens of Russia's Wagner group fighters dead in Mali after battling Taureg rebels
CBSJul 27
Mali Breaks Off Diplomatic Ties with Ukraine
Above: Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin (R) greets Malian Pres. Assimi Goita on July 29, 2023, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Image copyright: Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Mali has severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine after Ukraine's military intelligence agency (GUR) implicated Kyiv in last month's deadly ambush on Malian soldiers and Wagner fighters near the Algerian border.
On July 25, Tuareg rebels and militants from the al-Qaida affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin clashed with Malian and Russian soldiers near Tinzaouaten. In the ensuing battle, the Malian army suffered "significant" losses, while Russia's Wagner group reportedly lost at least 20 mercenaries.
The Spin
Narrative A
Ukraine's involvement in a cowardly, treacherous, and brutal terrorist attack in July is not only deplorable, it's an instance of unacceptable foreign interference in Mali's domestic affairs. Bamako can't maintain diplomatic relations with aggressors who actively support terrorist groups in the region.
Narrative B
Ukraine provides strategic intelligence to Tuareg fighters to combat Russian war criminals perpetrating war crimes and widespread looting in northern Mali. Moscow also extracts Malian resources to fund its war against Ukraine; Kyiv is within its rights to target Russian forces and defend its sovereignty.