Mali has accused neighbouring Algeria of being a sponsor and exporter of terrorism after Algeria shot down a Malian drone close to their common border last week.
A strongly worded statement from Mali’s foreign ministry on Sunday challenged Algeria’s earlier explanation that the unmanned surveillance aircraft had violated its airspace.
The statement described the downing of the drone as a “hostile premeditated action”. Algeria described the allegations as “lacking in seriousness [and they]… warrant no attention or response”.
Mali’s armed forces are fighting ethnic Tuareg separatists in the north. They have a stronghold in the town of Tinzaoutin, which straddles the Mali-Algeria border.
The shooting down of the drone marks a significant escalation of diplomatic tension, as Mali, along with its allies Niger and Burkina Faso, have recalled their ambassadors from Algiers.
Last year, the three junta-led countries formed a regional bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States, known by its French acronym AES.
In their joint statement condemning Algeria, they said the shooting down of the drone “prevented the neutralisation of a terrorist group that was planning terrorist acts against the AES”.
Mali has also summoned the Algerian ambassador in Bamako over the incident, declaring that it would file a complaint with “international bodies”. It also withdrew from a regional security grouping that includes Algeria.
In its response on Monday, Algeria said it noted the Malian and AES statements with “deep dismay”. It described Mali’s allegations as an attempt to divert attention away from its own failures.
Last Wednesday, Algeria acknowledged that it had shot down an “armed reconnaissance drone” close to Tinzaoutin saying it had “penetrated our airspace over a distance of 2km”.
But the junta in Bamako denied that the drone had violated Algeria’s airspace. It said that the aircraft’s wreckage was found 9.5km inside its borders.
Giving more details on Monday, Algeria said that the aircraft had entered its airspace “then exited before returning on an attack trajectory”.
Mali regularly accuses Algeria of giving shelter to Tuareg armed groups.
The north African country once served as a key mediator during more than a decade of conflict between Mali and the separatists. Their relations have soured since 2020 after the military took power in Bamako.
Algeria recently deployed troops along its borders to prevent the infiltration of militants and weapons from jihadist groups who operate in Mali and other countries in West Africa’s Sahel region.
By BBC News
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