The background is said to be about a “hostile” statement by Sweden’s Aid Minister Johan Forssell (M), who said on Wednesday that Sweden has decided to phase out aid to Mali, according to Reuters.
“The government has taken note of the Mali government’s remarkable decision to call on Sweden’s ambassador to leave the country,” announced Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M).
In December last year, the government decided to start the process of withdrawing aid to Mali. The aid agency Sida writes on its website that the aid will be phased out in 2024.
– Mali’s military junta is turning against Russia and supporting their war against Ukraine, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Johan Forssell to TV4 News in January.
Shall dismantle the Swedish embassy in Mali
In June, the government announced that they will also dismantle Sweden’s embassy in Bamako, among other things because the process of withdrawing aid to the country “reduces the added value of a permanent presence”.
Sweden is also to close its embassy in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and instead intends to open an embassy in Dakar in Senegal.
Mali cut ties with Ukraine
Earlier this week, Mali severed all diplomatic ties with Ukraine, whereupon Niger hung up, citing Ukraine’s support for terrorist groups.
– For a long time, Russia has carried out advanced influence operations in this region and it has been very successful, says SVT’s Africa correspondent Johan Ripås.
