Algeria has banned all flights to and from Mali, citing “recurrent violations” of its airspace, Al Jazeera reports.
The decision, announced by Algerian state television on Monday, follows the downing of a Malian drone by Algerian forces last week.
The move further escalates tensions between Algeria and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a confederation of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In response to the drone incident, the AES countries have recalled their ambassadors to Algiers for consultations.
The AES, in a statement released on social media, condemned Algeria’s actions as an “irresponsible act” and a violation of international law. They consider the downing of the drone “an aggression against the entire confederation” and “contrary to historical relations and fraternal relations between the peoples of the AES confederation and the Algerian people.” The AES also stated that the envoys have been recalled to discuss Algeria’s contribution “to destabilization in the region.”
According to the AES, the destruction of the aircraft, which was flying near the Algerian border town of Tin Zaouatine between March 31 and April 1, “prevented the neutralization of a terrorist group that was planning terrorist acts against the AES.”
Algiers has maintained that the drone was targeted because it violated Algerian airspace by more than 1.2 miles and identified it as an “armed surveillance drone.”
Conversely, Bamako claims a preliminary investigation shows that the drone was flying over Malian territory, approximately 6 miles from the Algerian border.
The AES was established last year following a series of coups and the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The three countries, situated in the Sahel region bordering the Sahara Desert, have been battling armed groups affiliated with ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda for years. These groups have carried out violent attacks on civilians and increasingly control significant territory.
While Algeria historically played a key mediating role between the Malian government and Tuareg rebels after Mali’s independence from France in 1960, tensions have risen in recent months. Two military coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021 caused a shift in dynamics, distancing the two countries and leading Mali and the AES members to sever ties with France and strengthen relations with Russia.
