Algeria has shut its airspace to all flights to and from Mali after shooting down a Malian military drone near their shared border. The Algerian government said this is the third time a Malian drone has entered its airspace in recent months.
The latest drone was intercepted and destroyed after being detected near the Algerian border town of Tin Zaouatine overnight from March 31 to April 1.
The Algerian 🇩🇿 Ministry of Defense announced the downing of an armed drone that had violated the national border near the city of Tinzaouatine, in the far south of Algeria, on the border with Mali 🇲🇱
A statement from the Algerian Ministry of Defense revealed that the drone was… https://t.co/0N6cTwyKKj pic.twitter.com/vazcXT1Fea
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) April 1, 2025
Algeria described the drone as armed and said it had crossed two kilometers into Algerian territory before returning on what it called an “attack trajectory.” Algerian officials said the airspace closure was a necessary step to protect national sovereignty.
Mali denied the drone crossed the border. Prime Minister Gen. Abdoulaye Maiga said the drone was flying inside Malian territory, about 10 kilometers from the border. He called the downing a “hostile premeditated action” and accused Algeria of sponsoring terrorism.
Following the incident, Mali, along with its allies Niger and Burkina Faso, recalled their ambassadors from Algeria. The three countries make up the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional bloc formed last year after they left the 50-year regional bloc known as the Economic Community of West African States.
The AES condemned Algeria’s actions, calling the drone’s destruction an “irresponsible act” that violated international law and harmed relations between the countries.
Algeria dismissed the accusations, saying Mali is trying to shift blame for its internal problems. In response, Algeria also recalled its ambassadors from the three AES countries and officially announced the airspace closure on Monday.
Algeria previously played a central role as a mediator in the long-standing conflict between Mali’s government and Tuareg rebels. However, relations between the two countries have deteriorated since the military coups in 2020 and 2021, which put Mali’s key institutions under junta control.
Following the coup, Mali’s military junta expelled French forces and sought new alliances, particularly with Russia, for military support and counterterrorism aid—a move that was condemned by Algeria, a long-time ally of France and other Western nations.
