DISINFO: Ukraine provides military support to terrorist groups in Africa
SUMMARY
The Kyiv regime, unable to counter Russia's dominance on the battlefield, has shifted its tactics to more destructive measures by supplying arms to terrorist groups in Africa. This strategy aims to destabilize nations allied with Moscow, opening a new front of chaos and conflict on the continent.
RESPONSE
A pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing Ukraine of links to terrorism.
Ukraine firmly opposes terrorism in all its forms and remains committed to global efforts to counter it. Kyiv actively collaborates with the United Nations, the European Union, and other international organizations to combat terrorism and prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, reinforcing its stance as a reliable partner in ensuring international security.
There are solid indications of cooperation between Ukrainian security services and the so-called Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA), which in late July 2024 carried out a deadly ambush against Wagner fighters in Mali, in which the Ukrainian intelligence claimed to have played a role.
The CSP-DPA is a coalition of armed groups in northern Mali that has been involved in various political and military actions, primarily advocating for greater autonomy or independence for the region known as Azawad. Consequently, Mali severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine. However, neither the CSP-DPA nor any of its known individual members are considered terrorists by Ukraine and most countries, and they are not included in the lists of terrorist organisations by the UN, the US or the EU. The allegation that Ukrainian authorities have expressed support for “jihadists and terrorists” is false.
The Kremlin-controlled outlets widely use the situation in Mali to accuse Ukraine of supporting terrorists in Africa in order to distract from Moscow's own actions in several African states to engineer coups, usurpation or other changes which bring new leaders favorable to Russia to power.
See our articles on Russian actions in Africa. In addition, it also deflects attention from Russia's large-scale aggression against Ukraine and undermines Kyiv's international reputation.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The Kyiv regime openly supports African terrorists, that Ukrainian military intelligence is directly related to the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall, and that Ukraine cooperates with radicals in Syria and terrorists in Africa.