ISTANBUL

Ukraine on Wednesday slammed the remarks by a commissioner of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), who accused Kyiv of “genocide” in the Donbas region and destabilization of the Sahel region.

“Groundless, insulting accusations against Ukraine of ‘genocide in the Donbas,’ ‘state terrorism’ and involvement in the destabilization of African countries in the region mindlessly reproduce Russian propaganda that has nothing to do with reality,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement said that such remarks discredit who has stated them, as they contradict matters recorded in numerous resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, as well as decisions of other international organizations.

Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah’s accusations towards Ukraine of degrading the security situation in the Sahel region not only undermine relations between Kyiv and ECOWAS members, but also cause serious damage to the reputation of ECOWAS, it added.

Musah’s remarks came during the Russia-Africa forum held in Russia’s resort city of Sochi over the weekend, according to Ukrainian media reports.

“After all, this association has always advocated respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, sought to ensure the regional unity of West African countries, and strongly condemned anti-constitutional rebellions against the legally elected governments of the states of the region,” it added.

Expressing hope that Musah’s remarks do not reflect the official position of ECOWAS, the ministry demands their condemnation by the economic union’s leadership and avoiding similar statements.

Multiple Ukrainian media outlets, including state news agency Ukrinform, reported that Musah accused Kyiv of “genocide” in the Donbas region by attempting to “eradicate the Russian language and culture.”

The reports said Musah’s remarks were made on the sidelines of the first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum held in Sochi on Nov. 9-10.

Founded on May 28, 1975, ECOWAS says it works to facilitate collaboration in various sectors, including trade, finance, and security, to foster stability and development in the West African region.

Over the years, the regional bloc has played a crucial role in addressing regional challenges and promoting the well-being of its member states.

This January, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrew from the ECOWAS regional bloc, which had threatened to intervene militarily in Niger following a coup there last July.