Growing tension between Algeria and the Sahel Alliance over the shooting down of a Malian drone

The Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), made up of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, has announced the withdrawal of their ambassadors in Algeria in response to the shooting down of a Malian drone on their shared border. The incident has been described by the bloc as a violation of international law and an example of the Algerian government's supposed support for terrorism. 

According to the AES, the attack on the drone, a Turkish-made Akinci model operated by the Malian army, constitutes an ‘irresponsible’ act that further deteriorates the already fragile relations between Algeria and its southern neighbours. The aircraft was intercepted near the border town of Tin Zaouatine, in the extreme south of Algeria, where the Algerian Armed Forces claim to have acted in response to an unauthorised air incursion. 

The Malian government, however, has categorically denied that the drone violated Algerian airspace. In a statement issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Malian Prime Minister, General Abdoulaye Maiga, accused Algeria of ‘sponsoring international terrorism’ and claimed that the act represented a serious diplomatic precedent. Mali has also announced that it will lodge a formal complaint with international organisations.

The tension comes at a time of growing distancing between Algeria and the military governments of the Sahel. Following their respective breakaways from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in September 2024 the three countries formed the G5 Sahel, a coalition focused on regional security and the rejection of foreign interference, especially from the West. Since then, their rapprochement with actors such as Russia has generated new geopolitical dynamics in the region. 

The diplomatic conflict is intensifying against the backdrop of a long history of mediation by Algeria in Mali's internal conflicts, especially between the central government and the Tuareg rebels in the north. However, following the coups d'état in Mali (2020 and 2021), bilateral relations have deteriorated markedly. Algeria has openly criticised Bamako's use of foreign mercenaries and sophisticated weaponry, including drones, to quell the insurgency in the north of the country. 

Videos posted on social media by armed groups opposed to the Malian government show the wreckage of the downed drone, suggesting that it was not recovered by the Malian army. Some analysts, such as Rida Lyammouri of the New South Policy Center - quoted by AP - believe that the confrontation will not escalate beyond a war of declarations, given that Mali does not fully control the area of the incident and Algeria maintains a clear military superiority. 

The withdrawal of ambassadors and the increasingly belligerent tone of the speeches confirm the deterioration of relations between Algeria and the AES, which threatens to hinder any initiative for regional cooperation in an environment already marked by insecurity and political instability. At the same time, the incident deepens the diplomatic isolation of Algeria, which not only maintains tensions with its southern neighbours, but is also at odds with Morocco and with influential figures on the Libyan scene, such as Marshal Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army.