Tensions have flared between Mali and Algeria following the downing of a Malian surveillance drone near their shared border, with Malian authorities accusing Algeria of sponsoring terrorism in the region.
On Sunday, Mali’s Security Minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, described the incident as a “premeditated hostile action,” rejecting Algeria’s claim that the unmanned drone had illegally entered Algerian airspace.
Algeria said the drone, described as an “armed reconnaissance aircraft,” was shot down after it reportedly penetrated 2km into its airspace near the town of Tinzaoutin, a border area contested by Tuareg separatists. Mali, however, maintains that the drone crashed 9.5km inside its territory and denies any airspace violation.
The incident has sparked a diplomatic standoff. Mali, along with its allies Niger and Burkina Faso members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has recalled its ambassador from Algiers. In a joint statement, the AES condemned Algeria’s actions, asserting that the drone was on a mission to neutralize a terrorist group planning attacks on their bloc.
Further escalating the row, Mali summoned the Algerian ambassador in Bamako and announced plans to lodge a formal complaint with international bodies. It also withdrew from a regional security framework that includes Algeria.
Mali has long accused Algeria of harboring Tuareg armed groups that operate across the Sahel. Once a mediator in Mali’s internal conflict, Algeria’s relations with Bamako have deteriorated significantly since the Malian military seized power in 2020.
In recent months, Algeria has increased its military presence along its southern border in an effort to curb the infiltration of militants and weapons linked to jihadist networks in Mali and other parts of the Sahel.
As diplomatic ties fray and accusations mount, the drone incident signals a troubling shift in regional dynamics, raising the stakes in a region already plagued by insecurity, and threatening to undo years of fragile cooperation. The road ahead calls for cooler heads and urgent diplomacy, or the region risks descending further into conflict and chaos.
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