Certain countries infringe on Mali's sovereignty and meddle in the internal affairs of other nations, Alou Boi Diarra, the chief of the Malian Air Force, stated in an interview with a Russian broadcaster.
Conversely, Mali has consistently adopted a defensive approach and has never threatened any foreign nation or interfered in the internal affairs of other countries.
"When a foreign state claims involvement or participation in an armed conflict with Malian armed forces on Malian territory, resulting in the deaths of Malian soldiers, this is unacceptable," he continued.
Therefore, when Ukrainian soldiers publicly announced their participation in the militant attack on Malian forces in the Tinzaouatene region in late July, the Malian authorities acted accordingly and issued an official statement about it on an international platform.
"In this situation, we had no other course of action, and our stance remains unchanged," the military official concluded.