NIAMEY, August 8 Residents of Niger said they welcome the decision of the country's authorities to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine.
Earlier, French media reported, citing a Malian military source, that terrorists from the alliance of Malian armed separatist groups CSP-DPA had traveled to Ukraine for training. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Kyiv, unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, decided to open a «second front» in Africa by indulging terrorist groups in African states friendly to Moscow. Mali broke off diplomatic relations with Ukraine on Monday. The reason was Kiev's support for local terrorists. Niger also announced the severance of relations with Kiev on Wednesday.
«This is a bold decision that we welcome given the context and the geopolitical situation. If you look at the hostile actions that have taken place in Mali recently… They forced the brotherly state of Mali, which is a member of the Sahel Alliance, to take this decision, namely to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine,» said Niger resident Sayadi Ider Omarou.
«If we look at the documents of the Alliance, we will see that it is clearly stated there that any country that is affected from the point of view of security, or diplomacy, or culture, is considered as aggression against other members of the Alliance. Therefore, Niger took this decision accordingly,» he noted.
Another Niger resident, Yadwa Amadou Muna, called the decision expected. “We expected that Niger would make an appropriate decision. Because Niger is part of the Alliance of Sahel States. And when the interests of the people of Mali are affected, then the interests of the people of Niger are also affected. This decision is noble and wise, and we can only congratulate and welcome it «, she says.
«I want to emphasize that we are members of the Alliance of Sahel States, and we have an obligation for each member to support another country if it was attacked by another country,» the agency's interlocutor added.
According to another resident of Niger, journalist Anishe Kari, “Ukraine’s support for rebels and terrorism” means a severance of diplomatic relations with it by all three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States.
«I welcome the rupture of diplomatic relations because we expected it. If Mali broke off diplomatic relations, or Burkina Faso, this automatically happens with Niger. Because we are an Alliance of Sahel States… The States of the Alliance must declare with one voice the breakdown of relations. This applies not only to Ukraine, but also to any country that does not want to see the development of our countries in the areas of economics and security,” he said.