Mali ousts Swedish ambassador amid strained relations with the West

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Sweden’s ambassador to Mali was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours following what it said was a hostile statement by a Swedish minister, the government said Friday.

The ousting of Ambassador Kristina Kuhnel comes days after Mali severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine, prompting comments by Sweden’s minister for international cooperation and trade.

”You can’t support Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and at the same time receive several hundred million kronor each year in development aid,” said Johan Forssell on social media platform X. “The government has therefore decided to phase out Sweden’s bilateral aid strategy with Mali in 2024.”

Relations between Mali and the West have frayed since a military junta seized power in 2020 and staged another coup the following year.

In January, the government in Stockholm announced it would end its development aid to Mali this year. In the past decade, Sweden has provided more than $330 million in assistance to the West African nation.

Several ambassadors and officials have been expelled. In 2022, French Ambassador Joel Meyer was told to leave as well as the spokesman for the peacekeeping mission, Olivier Salgado.

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Associated Press writer Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed.

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press