Ukraine calls on intl community to respond with utmost determination to reports of Russian atrocities in Mali
Russia is spreading violence, chaos, destabilization, looting, and cruelty in every corner it sets foot in, noted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, commenting on media reports of Russian atrocities in Mali. He called for international legal action against war criminals and for African governments to refrain from any cooperation with Russia.
“Rape, torture, looting, extrajudicial killings, and inhuman violence against ordinary people. All of the awful atrocities that the Russians are committing in Ukraine, they are also committing in Mali and other African states. The label may be different—Wagner, Africa Corps, or just “Russian Army”—but the essence is the same,” Sybiha said on X Tuesday.
In connection with these disclosures, Ukraine calls on the international community to respond most decisively, he said.
“These beasts are not acting on their own. They are officially part of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Both these criminals and the Russian state as such must be held accountable. We are demanding international legal action, including arrest warrants and sanctions. We also insist on an international fact-finding missions and independent investigation, possibly under UN auspices, to establish the facts and the full scale of atrocities, which might be far larger,” the foreign minister said.
He also warned all African governments against any cooperation with the Russians. “Modern Russia has nothing to do with the Soviet Union’s legacy in Africa — it brings not liberation, but lawlessness, atrocities, and plundering. Do not undermine your security. We also call for greater international support for those African states that face unacceptable security risks because of the Russian military presence in their regions,” Sybiha added.