Algeria and Mali mend ties: ambassadors return, airspaces reopen

After a period of significant strain, diplomatic relations between Algeria and Mali are showing clear signs of improvement. Both nations have announced the reciprocal return of their ambassadors and the reopening of their respective airspaces, signaling a major de-escalation of tensions that have characterized their bilateral ties in recent years.

Bamako officially declared the “reopening of national airspace to all civil and military aircraft ensuring flights to or from” Algeria, according to a government statement. The Malian authorities also confirmed the imminent return of their ambassador to Algiers, who had been recalled in April 2025, though no specific date was provided for his reinstatement.

Hours prior to Mali’s announcement, Algiers had initiated similar conciliatory steps. The Algerian Ministry of Defense released a statement confirming the immediate effect of its decision, as of this Friday, to reopen its airspace. This measure “includes all aerial flights to and from Mali across various international destinations.”

Mirroring Mali’s move, Algeria also confirmed on Friday the return of its ambassador to Bamako.

Drone incident fallout

Kamel Retieb, who served as Algeria’s envoy in Bamako before his recall following a diplomatic dispute, will resume his ambassadorial duties, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. The recall stemmed from a quarrel ignited by the destruction of a Malian drone by Algerian forces in April 2025.

Algeria, which played a pivotal role in brokering the 2015 peace accord between Bamako and northern armed groups, has seen its regional influence challenged by Mali’s current leadership. The Malian authorities have frequently accused Algeria of interfering in their internal affairs, contributing to the recent diplomatic chill in African politics.

Mali has been grappling with a severe security crisis since 2012, fueled by violence from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (EI), alongside community-based criminal gangs.

The dispute between the two neighboring countries escalated significantly in spring 2025 after a Malian military drone was destroyed near their shared border. Algeria maintained that the aircraft had violated its airspace, while Mali countered that the drone remained within its own territory.

This incident triggered a full-blown diplomatic crisis, marked by the recall of ambassadors, the reciprocal closure of airspaces, and a series of accusations exchanged between Algiers and the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger).

Further tensions arose in April when Mali announced its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a position directly at odds with Algeria’s long-standing stance on the issue.

Despite these recent disagreements, both nations share an extensive border and face common security challenges, particularly the ongoing fight against jihadist groups active across the Sahel region. This shared imperative remains a crucial link in their evolving Algeria Mali relations.