Tensions between Algeria and Mali have escalated sharply following Algeria’s downing of a Malian drone on the night of March 31st to April 1st.
Bamako condemned the act as a violation of its sovereignty and received strong support from its Alliance of Sahel States (AES) partners, Burkina Faso and Niger. Algiers, however, cited an “offensive incursion” into its airspace as a provocation and responded with diplomatic retaliation, including closing its airspace to Malian aircraft.
According to the Algerian Ministry of National Defense, the Malian military drone was shot down in the Tinzaouatène border region after what it described as the third intrusion into Algerian airspace in under a year.
Mali’s transitional government reacted strongly, labeling the incident an “unjustified act of aggression” and a serious threat to national security. Bamako accused Algeria of hindering its counter-terrorism operations and announced its intention to refer the matter to regional and international bodies.
Burkina Faso and Niger, the other members of the AES, jointly condemned Algeria’s actions, accusing Algiers of regional destabilization and collusion with armed groups in the Sahel. Subsequently, all three AES nations recalled their ambassadors from Algeria.
Algeria responded with equal vehemence, dismissing Mali’s accusations as “false” and politically motivated by a “putschist” regime. Algiers recalled its ambassadors from Bamako and Niamey and postponed the inauguration of its new ambassador to Burkina Faso.
On Monday, April 7th, Algeria announced the immediate closure of its airspace to all Malian civil and military aircraft. In a reciprocal move, Bamako closed its airspace to Algerian flights. Mali’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure cited Algeria’s “persistence in sponsoring international terrorism” as the reason for its retaliatory measure.
This diplomatic crisis unfolds amidst a realignment of regional alliances and growing distrust among AES countries regarding Algeria’s role in the Sahel. Mali, which withdrew from the Algerian-mediated Algiers Agreement in 2024, now accuses Algeria of bias and has initiated its own national reconciliation process, the Inter-Malian Dialogue.
The airspace closures are expected to directly impact commercial air travel. Air Algerie had only resumed flights to Bamako in December 2024 after a three-month suspension. This escalation risks further undermining regional cooperation efforts in the already volatile security context of the Sahel.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA