"The Government has noted Mali's government's remarkable decision to urge Sweden's ambassador to leave the country. The Government is now reviewing what measures should be taken in light of the incident," writes Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) in a statement.
The reason for the Swedish ambassador being urged to leave is, according to Mali's Foreign Ministry, a so-called "hostile" statement from Sweden's Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell (M), reports Reuters.
Recently, Mali announced that they had broken off all diplomatic relations with Ukraine, instead drawing closer to Russia.
"You cannot support Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and at the same time receive several hundred million kronor each year in development aid. The Government has therefore decided to phase out Sweden's bilateral aid strategy with Mali during 2024," Johan Forssell wrote on X then.
He had previously stated this year that the Government had decided to phase out aid to Mali.
TT has reported that the Swedish embassy in Mali, together with an external auditing firm, discovered that 7.3 million kronor from Swedish aid had not been properly accounted for. Then, Johan Forssell said that much suggests that the funds had gone to corruption.
The Government takes corruption in aid very seriously, he said to TT.
We have initiated a process of recovery. If they cannot show where the money has gone, then the money will be paid back.
In June this year, the Foreign Ministry announced that the Government had decided to close the Swedish embassy in Mali's capital Bamako. The closure was estimated to be completed by the end of 2024.
