Tensions between Algeria and Mali have sharply escalated after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near their shared border, prompting a series of diplomatic retaliations and the closure of Algerian airspace to Malian flights.
The dispute began last week when Algerian forces downed what they described as an “armed reconnaissance drone” that had violated their airspace by 2km near the town of Tinzaoutin, a volatile area straddling the Algeria-Mali border. Algeria claimed the drone entered, exited, and then re-entered its airspace on an attack trajectory.
Mali, however, strongly denied that the drone crossed into Algerian territory, asserting that its wreckage was found 9.5km inside Malian borders. In a blistering statement on Sunday, Mali’s foreign ministry called the incident a “hostile premeditated action” and accused Algeria of sponsoring and exporting terrorism. The statement was echoed by Mali’s regional allies, Niger and Burkina Faso, who together form the junta-led Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The AES condemned Algeria’s actions, saying the drone had been on a mission to neutralize a terrorist group planning attacks against the bloc. In protest, all three countries recalled their ambassadors from Algiers and Mali summoned the Algerian ambassador in Bamako. Additionally, Mali withdrew from a regional security grouping that includes Algeria and announced its intention to file a complaint with international bodies.
In response, Algeria dismissed the accusations as lacking seriousness and claimed Mali was attempting to deflect attention from its internal security failings. The Algerian defence ministry announced on Monday that, due to repeated violations of its airspace, it was closing its skies to all Malian air traffic.
Relations between the two nations have deteriorated since Mali’s military takeover in 2020. Algeria, once a key mediator in Mali’s conflict with Tuareg separatists, has come under scrutiny from Bamako, which accuses it of sheltering rebel elements.
Algeria has since bolstered its border security to prevent the infiltration of jihadist militants and weapons from the Sahel region. The current standoff marks one of the most serious diplomatic rifts in recent years between the two neighbours.
