A row between unlikely sparring partners. This week, Mali announced it was severing ties with Ukraine, after accusing Kyiv of having a hand in a devastating ambush in the West African country’s northern Kidal region in late July that saw dozens of Malian soldiers killed.
Separatist Tuareg rebels who masterminded the attack claimed they had killed Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner fighters. Analysts have said if those claims are true, it might be the worst defeat for the mercenary group since it first deployed in 2021 to help military government-led Mali fight a swarm of armed groups operating across the country.
