Wetin dey cause di tension between Algeria and Mali?

BBC News

10-04-2025

Algeria and Mali, neighbouring kontries for Africa, recently don see dia diplomatic relations hit a historic low afta Algeria shoot down a Malian reconnaissance drone on March 31.
According to Algeria Ministry of Defence, di unmanned aerial vehicle bin enta Algerian airspace without authorization, wey make di military respond like dat.
Dis incident don raise tensions between di two nations, wey, despite say dem dey share borders, dem still get a complex relationship.
While both kontris still dey deal wit security challenges for di Sahel region, including threats from extremist groups, di drone incident highlight ongoing concerns over airspace sovereignty and border security.
Algeria, wey for long don maintain a policy of non-interference for dia neighbours internal affairs, dey particularly sensitive to violations of dia airspace.
Meanwhile, Mali, wey dey deal wit internal instability and foreign military involvement, dey face serious scrutiny after di incident.
Di diplomatic fallout from dis event fit strain future cooperation between di two kontris, affecting dia efforts to address regional security issues.
Political groups and civil organisations no dey happy wit di adventure of sojas in di political space. But di junta dey use attacks by Tuareg fighters and jihadi militants as excuse to consolidate dia hold on power and dey turn towards Russia after breaking ties with former colonial power, France.
Di kontri dey also face deadly attacks by Jihadists linked to Al Qaeda wey mainly dey based in northern Malian cities. Dia brutal treatment of local populations and di influx of foreign fighters wey boku for di region don trigger fears say northern Mali fit become a launching pad for terror attacks.
No doubt say na Africa largest kontri by land area, Algeria don also try to position diasef as a big brother in North Africa. Dem be di most stable politically wen compared to dia southern neighbour.
Mali and Algeria share common border wey span 1,359 km (844 m) long, across di Sahara Desert, from Mauritania in di northwest to Niger in di southeast.
Di crisis in Mali begin for late 2011 as Tuareg militants wey bin dey seek independence from flow into di kontri, armed with weapons from Libya.
Di disorder allow di Tuareg insurgents to seize di main towns in di north. Wen di crisis escalate, some Malian soldiers, fearing say di militants go over run di kontri, overthrow di goment of President Amadou Toumani Touré in 2020.
Wetin be di allegations?
Mali for long don accuse Algeria of harbouring Tuareg armed groups along dia shared border, though Algeria consistently don deny dis claims. However, di latest diplomatic tension dey come from di shooting down of a Malian drone on March 31.
According to di Algerian military, di drone cross into dia airspace near di border town of Tin Zaouatine, wey prompt di military action. Mali, on di oda hand, don deny say di drone breach di border.
Di incident don spark a strong response from Mali oda neighbours, Niger and Burkina Faso, wey also don express dia support for Mali.
Both kontries condemn Algeria actions as an "irresponsible act" and a violation of international law.
In protest, dem don recall dia ambassadors from Algeria, further escalating di diplomatic standoff.
Dis development dey highlight di growing rift between Algeria and Mali, as well as di broader regional implications of di dispute.
How dis wan dey affect di Sahel kontries?
Mali bin dey rely on Algeria for support in dia fight against insurgency, wit Algeria playing a key role in mediating between Bamako and di Tuaregs until di 2020 coup.
However, following tensions, both kontris don close dia airspaces, escalating diplomatic conflicts.
Algeria, wit a population of 46 million and a land area wey nearly double Mali, na regional power. Mali, wey withdraw from Ecowas, bin dey depend on Algeria for trade, especially through di Mediterranean.
But Algeria recent troop deployment to di border with Mali dey suggest efforts to cut trade ties.
Additionally, di Alliance of Sahel Countries don impose tariffs on West African goods, wey also dey impact Ecowas trade. Ecowas officials go meet later dis month to discuss dis tariffs, but Mali dey face growing economic and diplomatic challenges.
Any hope of resolution in sight?
Hopes say Morocco or Mauritania go mediate di dispute dey low.
Deep-rooted distrust and a long-standing rivalry between Algeria and Morocco dey make any Moroccan-led mediation unlikely.
Mauritania, however, still dey maintain cordial ties wit both Algeria and Mali, and dem largely dey neutral. Dia relations wit Mali dey especially cooperative, wit joint development projects wey dey reduce Mali reliance on Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.
Experts believe say Mauritania go fit help broker dialogue, though Nouakchott neva comment on di current tensions.
Notably, a year ago, Mauritania defence minister bin visit Mali to ease cross-border tensions, after accusing Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries of pursuing fighters into Mauritanian territory—an incident wey Mauritania help to de-escalate.
While di current tension between Algeria and Mali dey viewed by some as temporary, e get growing concerns say e fit threaten regional stability if e grow worse.
In January 2024, Mali junta withdraw from di 2015 Algiers Accord wit Tuareg and oda separatist groups, wey come reignite conflict wit dis factions and add to di volatility.