Sweden's Ambassador to Mali, Kristina Kuhnel, has been given 72 hours to leave the country, following a decision by Mali's foreign ministry on Friday, August 9. The expulsion is in response to

what the ministry described as a "hostile" remark made by a Swedish government official.

This diplomatic incident highlights the shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Sahel region, where three military-led governments—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are increasingly distancing themselves from traditional Western allies in favor of closer ties with Russia.

The controversy began when Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation and Trade, Johan Forssell, announced on Wednesday that Sweden would phase out its aid to Mali due to the latter’s growing alignment with Moscow. Forssell stated, "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," referring to Mali's recent decision to cut ties with Ukraine.

Mali, which has been under military rule since 2020, is facing an ongoing conflict with ethnic Tuareg rebels in the north. The country has enlisted the help of Russian Wagner mercenaries after severing military cooperation with Western countries, including those in the European Union.

Relations between Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Western nations have deteriorated as these countries increasingly turn to Russia for support.

In a related move, Sweden had announced in June that it would close its embassy in Bamako by the end of the year. Forssell’s spokesperson clarified on Friday that the decision to phase out development aid was made in December, and that humanitarian aid would continue.

The Swedish foreign ministry has yet to comment on the situation.

This diplomatic rift follows Mali’s decision last week to sever ties with Ukraine, after a Ukrainian diplomat suggested that Kyiv had supported Tuareg rebels responsible for killing dozens of Russian Wagner mercenaries and Malian soldiers. Ukraine's foreign ministry denied any involvement and criticized Mali’s decision as rash and unwise. Photo by Mouase21, Wikimedia commons.