Sahel alliance recalls ambassadors from Algeria after the downing of a Malian drone

A military alliance between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger withdrew their respective ambassadors from Algeria in response to the downing of a Malian drone this week, the group said late Sunday.

The Alliance of Sahel States, which goes by its French acronym AES, blamed Algeria on social media for the drone's downing and condemned it as an “irresponsible act” that violated international law.

The act was "contrary to historical relations and fraternal relations between the peoples of the AES Confederation and the Algerian people,” the group said.

The Malian Foreign Ministry in a statement on social media Sunday denied claims by the Algerian government that the drone had violated Algeria's airspace by over 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and instead claimed that “this action proves, if proof were needed, that the Algerian regime sponsors international terrorism.”

Mali in the statement also summoned the Algerian ambassador, withdrew from a 15-year-old regional military group that includes fellow AES member Niger, and filed a complaint with “international bodies” about the incident.

The incident comes as tensions rise between Algeria and its southern neighbors, including Mali.

Algeria once served as a key mediator during more than a decade of conflict between Mali’s government and Tuareg rebels. But the two countries have grown apart since a military junta staged coups in 2020 and 2021, putting military personnel in charge of Mali's key institutions.

Algeria has denounced the direction that Mali’s new government has taken and its expanded efforts to quash rebellion in historically volatile parts of northern Mali. Afraid of the conflict spilling over the border, Algerian officials have denounced Mali’s use of Russian mercenaries and armed drones near Tin Zaouatine, a border town in the north were the drone was found.

Algeria has one of Africa’s largest militaries and has long considered itself a regional power but military leaders in neighboring Mali and Niger have distanced themselves as they’ve championed autonomy and sought new alliances, including with Russia.