A growing diplomatic rift between Algeria and Mali has escalated into a full-fledged aviation standoff, as both countries announced on Monday that they are closing their airspace to one another. The move comes in the wake of a drone incident near the Algeria-Mali border that triggered a series of accusations, ambassador recalls, and warnings of further deterioration in regional relations.
The crisis was set in motion on April 1, when Algeria’s Ministry of Defense reported that its armed forces had shot down a surveillance drone that allegedly breached Algerian airspace in the Tinzaouaten region, a remote Saharan commune close to the Mali border. Algerian authorities described the drone as armed and said it represented a clear violation of national sovereignty.
Mali, however, disputed Algeria’s account. According to Bamako, the wreckage of the drone was discovered 9.5 kilometers (5.9 miles) south of the shared border — a location well within Malian territory. The discrepancy immediately inflamed existing tensions between the two neighbors.
On Monday, Algeria’s Foreign Ministry released detailed findings from radar surveillance, asserting that the drone had entered 1.6 kilometers into Algerian airspace before being intercepted. Citing this breach, the ministry declared an immediate suspension of all flights to and from Mali, stating that it was a necessary response to “recurrent and deliberate violations” of Algerian airspace.
The move effectively grounded all commercial and military aircraft operating between the two countries, further destabilizing regional mobility and cooperation.
Hours later, Mali’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure issued a retaliatory announcement: the closure of Malian airspace to all Algerian aircraft. The ministry accused Algeria of engaging in “persistent sponsorship of international terrorism,” though no specific incidents or evidence were cited to support the claim.
The accusation marks one of the most serious allegations exchanged between the two governments in recent years and is likely to worsen already strained relations across the Sahel region.
The diplomatic dispute has now rippled across the Sahel. Mali, alongside its regional allies Burkina Faso and Niger — all members of the newly formed Sahel security alliance — announced on Sunday the recall of their ambassadors from Algiers for consultations. The joint recall was framed as a unified protest against what the countries termed Algeria’s “hostile actions” and lack of respect for sovereign borders.
In response, Algeria on Monday recalled its own ambassadors from Mali and Niger and postponed the official start of its new ambassador’s mission to Burkina Faso.
In a coordinated joint statement, the governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso strongly condemned what they described as an “irresponsible act by the Algerian regime.” The three nations asserted that Algeria’s actions are contributing to instability in a region already grappling with insurgencies, foreign interference, and political fragility.
The mutual airspace closures mark a dramatic breakdown in cross-border cooperation and raise serious questions about future diplomatic dialogue and regional security initiatives. The airspace bans could also impact humanitarian aid logistics and disrupt commercial aviation routes across North and West Africa.
Observers warn that unless cooler heads prevail, the current trajectory could deepen mistrust and provoke broader geopolitical realignments in the region.
