Sweden recognized the Mali Federation as a sovereign and independent state on 20 June 1960, in connection with its declaration of independence, as announced by Acting Foreign Minister Carl Henrik Nordlander [sv] in a congratulatory telegram to Mali's Prime Minister, Modibo Keïta.

[1] Sweden's first ambassador accredited in Bamako was Karl Henrik Andersson, who held a dual accreditation from the Swedish embassy in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, starting in 1964.

Ambassador Claës König [sv] in Algiers presented his letters of credence to President Moussa Traoré on 28 May 1969.

Sweden opened an embassy in Bamako in 2010 and appointed a resident ambassador there.

[5] In August 2024, the Swedish ambassador to Mali, Kristina Kühnel, was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours due to a "hostile" statement by a Swedish minister.