Brewing diplomatic rift between AES countries and Algeria - Daily Trust (2025)

The three countries pulled their ambassadors from Algeria late Sunday, and Algeria followed suit Monday by withdrawing its ambassadors from those countries.

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Algeria and Mali also announced they were barring each other’s planes from entering their airspace.

Algeria denied any wrongdoing in the drone incident and accused Mali of trying to redirect blame for its internal problems.

“The junta of putschists ruling in Mali is vainly attempting to make our country a scapegoat for the setbacks and woes of which the Malian people are paying the heaviest price,” Algeria’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Mali, which uses drones against rebels in the region, has said that Algeria’s actions proved that it “sponsored international terrorism.”

The Malian government has pursued an aggressive campaign to combat rebels in its northern regions, where a mixture of Tuareg movements and transnational jihadi groups wield power.

Amnesty International last year accused Mali’s army of using drones against civilians in incidents in which the government claimed they were targeting jihadist groups.

Mali on Sunday said it had summoned the Algerian ambassador, withdrawn from a 15-year-old regional military group that includes Algeria, and planned to file a complaint with international bodies about the drone incident.

The escalation comes after months of rising tensions between Algeria and its southern neighbours, including Mali.

Since seizing control, the region’s juntas have reshaped the balance of power in northwest Africa. Military leaders in the three AES countries — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — left the Economic Community of West African States, the nearly 50-year-old regional bloc known as ECOWAS. They created their own security partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States, in September last year.

Algeria has one of Africa’s largest militaries and has long considered itself a regional power. The military leaders of the three Sahel nations have recently distanced themselves from Algeria as they have championed autonomy and sought new alliances, including with Russia.

Algerian officials have denounced Mali’s use of Russian mercenaries and armed drones near Tin Zaouatine, a border town in the north where the drone was found.

The Malian government did not recover the drone and videos seen on social media, posted by northern rebels, show them in possession of the remains of a Turkish-made Akinci drone manufactured by Baykar downed in Tin Zaouatine.

Mali purchased at least two from the Turkish company last year and has used them against armed separatists as well as fighters linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

History of rifts

The diplomatic rift between Algeria and Mali has been shaped by a complex history of political, security, and territorial disputes.

These tensions have often revolved around differing approaches to regional stability, counterterrorism, and the handling of separatist movements, particularly in northern Mali.

One of the key points of contention has been Algeria’s role as a mediator in Mali’s internal conflicts.

Algeria brokered the 2015 Algiers Agreement, which aimed to bring peace between the Malian government and northern separatist groups, including the Tuareg rebels.

The agreement recognised the unique status of northern Mali within a unified state. However, Mali’s military government terminated the agreement in January 2024, citing shifts in the positions of some signatory groups and accusing Algeria of hostile actions.

This decision marked a significant deterioration in relations, as Mali accused Algeria of interfering in its internal affairs and supporting separatist movements.

The conflict in northern Mali has been a focal point of the rift. Algeria has advocated for dialogue and diplomacy to address the crisis, while Mali has increasingly favored military action.

Algeria’s opposition to Mali’s decision to reclassify certain northern separatist groups as terrorist organisations further strained relations.

Mali viewed Algeria’s stance as an intrusion on its sovereignty, while Algeria argued that a military solution was not the answer.

The rift deepened with accusations from both sides. Mali accused Algeria of exploiting its internal conflicts for political objectives and supporting groups that destabilised the region.

Algeria, on the other hand, criticised Mali for repeated violations of its airspace and for failing to address security challenges effectively. These mutual accusations have fueled mistrust and hindered cooperation between the two nations.

Broader implications

The rift has broader implications for the Sahel region, which is already grappling with extremism, intercommunal violence, and displacement crises.

Both Algeria and Mali play critical roles in regional stability, and their strained relations have undermined efforts to address shared security challenges.

The breakdown in cooperation has also affected alliances and partnerships, with Mali aligning more closely with other Sahel nations like Burkina Faso and Niger.

Meanwhile, Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, told AP that the latest war of words was unlikely to escalate beyond that.

“Mali, and other AES members would not engage militarily against Algeria, and vice versa,” he said, noting Mali did not fully control its border areas.