Ukraine has been accused of destabilising Africa after a Wagner convoy was ambushed and destroyed by Tuaregs in Mali who acted on an alleged tip-off from Kyiv intelligence services. But those claims were dismissed by Prof Olexiy Haran from the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, who said that Russia and Wagner is having a devastating effect across many parts of the continent.

“It is not Ukraine that is destabilising Africa; it is Russia and Wagner,” prof Haran from the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy told NSN in an interview.

Mali and Niger cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine with a top Malian official, Colonel Abdoulaye Maigi accusing Ukraine of violating the country’s sovereignty by aiding the Tuareg rebels. In a show of support, Senegal also summoned Ukrainian ambassador Yurri Pyvovarov.

Russia has accused Ukraine of “pandering to terror groups and opening, “a second front in Africa.”

Prof. Haran emphasised that any Ukrainian involvement in Mali was aimed at countering Wagner Group operations. “Ukraine,” he said, “does not support terrorism, at all. That is not our policy. 

“Russia supports terrorism in different forms, many, many regions of the world, and also by using these Wagner groups.”

Prof Haran said Russia and its Wagner mercenaries and its destabilising effects is well-known. “There’s a lot of evidence in many, many countries of Africa, including, including in Mali.” 

Prof Hassan said most of those that were killed in the ambush by the Tuareg separatists were from Wagner. He said it was unfortunate that regular soldiers of the Mali army have also died. The current leadership in Mali, Bukina Faso and Niger are military governments that are not democratic, “and they have a known pro-Russia stance.”

Ukraine, he said also supported the central government of Sudan and “that is totally fine within international law. 

Ukraine has always been on the side of those who fight against colonialism, Prof Haran said. 

“Even during the time when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, it held a unique position in the United Nations. Ukraine was a member of the UN, although this was an exception granted to both Ukraine and Belarus because of their contributions to the victory in World War II.”

He said Ukraine was also involved with the UN Special Committee on Apartheid – it wasn’t  the USSR or Russia. Russia, he said was not a member of that committee. 

“We actively contributed to creating numerous resolutions against colonialism and apartheid. Many members of the ANC not only studied in Ukraine but were also trained in military camps there. While Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, it was formally recognized as an independent republic,” he said. 

Ukraine has for many years supported Africa, he said. “After African countries gained their independence, many Ukrainian engineers, workers, and specialists worked in those nations.”

In South Africa, Russia’s claims that Ukraine was opening a second front in Africa were echoed by the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP)’s provincial co-ordinator, Papi Tau who called on the South African government to use its seat at the UN to sponsor a motion condemning Russia for its alleged involvement in supporting terrorists on the continent.  

Prof dismissed the statements of the MKP against Ukraine saying the leader of the MKP Jacob Zuma had been making pro-Russian statements from time  to time and he believed the accusation that the MKP made against Ukraine is part of some campaign in the MKP for visibility in South Africa after recent election losses.   

Prof Haran said while South Africa attempted to maintain a neutral position on Russia’s War against Ukraine, it has “in certain instances been beneficial for Russia.”  

The situation, he indicating is however evolving and he welcomed the presence of representatives from South Africa who have participated in  all the working groups during the Global Peace Summit. “It was a positive development.” 

Prof Haran described the Government of National Unity as more pragmatic when it comes to foreign policy and he expressed the hope that level of pragmatism will continue and lead to better understanding and cooperation between Ukraine and South Africa.  

He said Ukraine was keen to engage with the Global South. Ukraine is planning to open 10 new embassies in Africa in an effort to counter Russia’s influence on the continent.  

The anger from several African countries over Kyiv’s perceived support for Tuareg rebels is, however, a setback for Ukraine’s efforts to expand its influence on the continent, which has often maintained a stubborn neutrality regarding Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Ukraine has since backtracked on its involvement in the attack on Wagner in Mali, with Andriy Yosov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, stating that his earlier comments regarding the information provided to the Tuareg separatists may have been misinterpreted. 

The country’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, emphasised during his tour of Africa the importance of engaging with African partners to ensure that Russian narratives and “Russian lies do not poison their views on the war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine.”