Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop accused Ukraine of supporting armed groups in the Sahel while defending Bamako’s security partnerships and calling for reforms to the international system during his address to the UN General Assembly on September 28.
Speaking on behalf of Transition President Assimi Goïta, Diop said Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger would continue their joint fight against armed groups through the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), with support from Russia.
Diop also called for greater respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, accusing the international community of applying “double standards” to global crises. He urged reforms to make the United Nations more representative and give African countries a stronger voice.
On the economic front, Diop said Mali was seeking greater autonomy through local processing of natural resources, increased domestic revenue and investment in productive sectors, education and youth and women’s employment.
He also called for increased access to climate finance, particularly to address desertification in the Sahel, and described artificial intelligence as a matter of digital sovereignty.
Diop said Mali would continue diversifying its international partnerships while advocating for what he described as a fairer and more balanced multilateral system.
