Algeria and Mali Reopen Airspace and Restore Embassies After Extended Diplomatic Dispute

Relations begin to thaw as both countries reinstate ambassadors and reopen airspace closed to each other since April 2025.

Published On 11 Jul 202611 Jul 2026

Following a prolonged diplomatic rift, Algeria and Mali have taken steps to normalize bilateral relations, with both nations reinstating their ambassadors and reopening their airspace to each other after more than a year of tension.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced on Saturday that his country’s ambassador would return to Mali, following Algiers’ full reopening of airspace to civilian and military aircraft traveling to and from its southern neighbor.

Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, spokesperson for Mali’s military government, confirmed that Bamako had implemented reciprocal actions.

The deterioration in relations occurred in April after Algeria claimed it had downed a Malian surveillance drone for breaching its airspace, a claim Bamako disputes, asserting the incident took place within Malian territory.

The breakdown in ties has significantly impacted security in the Sahel region. Mali, a member of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, saw its allies in Ouagadougou and Niamey withdraw their ambassadors in solidarity in April of the previous year.

The AES has faced escalating attacks by armed groups affiliated with ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. Many analysts attribute the proliferation of these groups in the Sahel partly to the NATO-supported overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, which created a power vacuum and led to widespread looting of military stockpiles.

Algeria has historically played a mediating role in peace negotiations between the Malian government and Tuareg separatist rebels. However, last year’s diplomatic crisis prompted Algiers to withdraw from this role, raising concerns over Mali’s security and territorial stability, while also posing potential risks to Algeria’s internal security.

In April, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf reaffirmed Algiers’ commitment to Mali’s territorial integrity, condemning all forms of “terrorism”.

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