The Malian government has called on the United States to prosecute individuals responsible for allegedly diverting funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to finance terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
In a strongly worded statement released on February 24, 2025, Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed “surprise” over the recent announcement by a U.S. government agency that American aid to Mali had been cancelled.
The disputed funding, amounting to $14 million (approximately 8.8 billion CFA francs), was reportedly intended to support social cohesion projects.
Mali, which has been distancing itself from Western influence and strengthening ties with Russia in recent years, stated that it had long warned about the dangers of foreign aid being used as a tool for destabilisation and subversion.
The government asserted that such aid has been misused to fund terrorist networks operating in the region, further undermining the sovereignty and security of Sahel states.
“Mali recognises itself in the new orientation of the American authorities aimed at cleaning up and humanising their subsidies, and welcomes this awareness of the reality of their ‘public aid’ and the actions undertaken against their subversive use,” the statement read.