The Swedish ambassador was banished from Mali due to a “hostile” remark

Mali’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Kristina Kuhnel, Sweden’s ambassador to Bamako, has been told to leave the West African nation of Sahel within 72 hours due to what it described as a “hostile” comment made by a Swedish minister.

The diplomatic dispute highlights the larger geopolitical change taking place in the area as three junta-led nations—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—move away from their long-standing Western allies and toward Russia.

Johan Forssell, Sweden’s minister for trade, cooperation, and international development, announced on Wednesday that the country’s decision to gradually stop aiding Mali was made because of the country’s connections to Russia.

Forssell commented on a post on X that stated Mali was severing connections with Ukraine, saying, “You cannot support Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and at the same time receive several hundred million crowns each year in development aid.”

Mali, which has been ruled by a military junta since 2020, is fighting alongside Russian Wagner mercenaries against ethnic Tuareg rebels in the north after severing military cooperation links with Western powers, including those in the European Union.

Since then, as all three countries look to Russia for backing, ties between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso and Western powers have worsened.

The foreign ministry’s website stated that Sweden had decided in June to shut its embassy in the capital city of Bamako, Mali, by the end of the year.

According to a representative for Forsell, the decision to stop and phase off development aid was made in December, but humanitarian relief will still be provided on Friday.

There was no quick response from the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

Following remarks made by a diplomat implying that Kyiv had supported Tuareg rebels who claimed to have murdered at least 84 Russian Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers, Mali severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine last week.

Later, the foreign ministry of Ukraine declared that there was no proof that Kyiv had participated in the conflict and criticized Mali’s move as rash and short-sighted.