Gambiaj.com – (Bamako, Mali) – The military-led governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have recalled their ambassadors from Algeria, citing what they describe as an “unprecedented act of aggression” by Algiers. The decision follows Mali’s accusation that Algeria shot down a Malian military drone near their shared border in late March.

In a joint statement, the three countries—members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—announced that their ambassadors in Algiers would return for consultations. “The college of AES heads of state has decided to recall for consultations the ambassadors of the member states accredited in Algiers,” the statement read, signaling a further deterioration in diplomatic ties between Mali and Algeria.

Drone Incident Deepens Diplomatic Rift

On April 1, Algeria confirmed that it had downed what it described as an armed reconnaissance drone that had entered its airspace. However, Mali strongly rejected this claim, insisting that the drone was still within Malian territory when it was shot down.

The Malian Foreign Ministry stated that an investigation determined “with absolute certainty” that the drone was destroyed following a premeditated hostile action by the Algerian regime. The wreckage, according to Bamako, was located 9.5 kilometers south of the border, and its final descent suggested an attack from either surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles.

Denouncing the incident as a “hostile, inimical, and condescending action” by Algeria, Mali has taken a series of countermeasures. These include summoning the Algerian ambassador in Bamako, withdrawing from the Joint Operational Staff Committee (CEMOC)—a regional anti-terrorism framework—and filing a complaint with international bodies.

A History of Strained Relations

This latest dispute follows a pattern of worsening ties between Mali and Algeria, whose diplomatic relations have become increasingly fraught. In December 2023, both countries recalled their ambassadors after a separate diplomatic clash.

Bamako has repeatedly accused Algiers of maintaining close ties with armed groups in northern Mali. The Malian junta, which seized power in a series of coups in 2020 and 2021, has cut ties with France and Western allies, expelled the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA), and formed a new regional bloc with Burkina Faso and Niger.

Mali’s decision to abandon the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement in January marked another major rupture. The deal, brokered by Algeria, was intended to stabilize Mali by integrating former Tuareg rebel factions into the state, but the junta dismissed it as ineffective.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has distanced itself from ECOWAS, leaving the West African bloc in January 2024, citing its alleged subservience to France. The withdrawal has reinforced the three military regimes’ realignment towards Russia and new security partnerships outside of traditional Western influence.

With diplomatic channels closing and security tensions escalating, the Mali-Algeria standoff marks yet another major fracture in the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Sahel.