After a diplomatic freeze lasting over a year, signs of renewed warmth are emerging between Algeria and Mali. Both nations have reinstated their ambassadors and mutually reopened their respective airspaces.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed the return of Algeria’s envoy to Mali, following the complete resumption of Algerian airspace access for civilian and military aircraft traveling to and from its southern neighbor.
Concurrently, a statement from the Malian military government’s spokesperson affirmed that Bamako had implemented corresponding reciprocal actions.
The bilateral relationship between these two African nations soured last April. This occurred after Algeria declared it had downed a Malian surveillance drone, citing airspace infringement. Bamako, however, disputes this account, maintaining that the drone was intercepted within its own territorial limits.
The diplomatic rift between Algeria and Mali had a destabilizing effect on Sahel security. Mali, a key member of the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES) alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, saw its allies react. In a show of solidarity with Bamako, both Ouagadougou and Niamey had also recalled their ambassadors from Algeria last April.