Ukraine has declared its intent to combat Russian influence globally, including in the Sahel region of Africa, where it reportedly provides unofficial, yet increasingly documented, support to rebel groups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. These nations have turned away from France and allied themselves with Russia, as reported by AFP.
The governments of these three African countries, supported by the Russian paramilitary group Afrika Corps coordinated by the Russian Defense Ministry, have severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine. They accuse Ukraine of supplying arms to the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a separatist Tuareg armed group allied with jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda, specifically the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
Mali Accuses Ukraine of Backing Terrorist Groups
In a statement at the UN General Assembly in September, Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop accused Ukraine of “clearly and openly supporting terrorist groups and other mafia-like factions to undermine our nation’s territorial integrity.”
Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine also accused France and Ukraine of supporting rebellious factions in northeastern Niger. Following a failed coup attempt in late August, the junta ruling Niger claimed it was orchestrated with involvement from France and thwarted with decisive aid from Russian fighters.
Kiev officially denies any involvement in the region, with Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ghiorghi Tihîi asserting, “This is a Russian disinformation campaign against Ukraine.”
Ukrainian Intelligence Confirms Presence
However, this assertion seems contradicted by former head of Ukrainian military intelligence Kirilo Budanov, who became the chief of staff for President Volodymyr Zelensky in January. He suggested the presence of Ukrainian agents in the Sahel, stating, “From Russia to Africa, the general intelligence direction protects Ukrainian interests globally by any means, in the hot sands of the desert and the frozen snows of Antarctica,” in a September 7 post on social media.
This post included photographs of four white men with blurred faces alongside armed local men wearing turbans in a desert setting. Five days later, U.S. network CNN aired testimonies from Ukrainian military intelligence agents confirming the presence of Ukrainian drone operators in the Sahel supporting the FLA, which “does not engage directly in fighting but provides support, training, and operational assistance.”
Ukrainians Training Separatists Since 2023
A source within the FLA group confirmed to AFP, “We have contacts with Ukrainians, but all the fighting in recent months has been led by the FLA and JNIM,” while denying any “logistical or material support” or “information transfer” from Ukrainian services. Nonetheless, the source acknowledged, “Three or four Ukrainians came to train our members in northern Mali in 2023. This year, some of our members participated in intensive training in Ukraine for drone use.”
Armed groups in the region increasingly rely on inexpensive, remotely-piloted drones for reconnaissance and attacks, a tactic inspired directly by the conflict in Ukraine. Training conducted in northern Mali in 2023 took place near the Mauritanian border, according to a second source from the FLA.
In July 2024, a Ukrainian military intelligence official, Andrii Iusov, indicated that Ukraine had provided intelligence to rebels to execute a joint attack with jihadists that resulted in the deaths of numerous Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers.
According to a regional diplomatic source, “Ukrainians are indeed present in northern Mali, where they move and collaborate with Tuareg rebels.”
The Importance of Mauritania for Ukraine
This source indicated that the border with Mauritania is the main crossing point for exchanges between Ukrainians and separatists, with the drones used by the FLA reportedly supplied by Ukrainians. This is supported by a study from the influential American think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“It is no coincidence that Kyiv opened an embassy in Nouakchott in 2024, with Mauritania serving as a rear base for FLA leaders,” the source noted. “However, this proximity causes concern for Mauritanian authorities, who have already had tensions with Bamako and Moscow. This is why the FLA systematically denies this information,” the same source explained.
Beyond the Sahel, the presence of Ukrainian agents in Sudan has also been documented. In recent years, Ukraine has sought to expand its influence in Africa, opening several new embassies, and Zelensky has instructed Ukrainian ambassadors to pay “special attention” to certain African regions, including the Sahel.
