Press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Algerian Government has taken note, with great dismay, of the statement issued by the Transitional Government of Mali, as well as that emanating from the College of Heads of State of the Confederation of Sahel States.

Through its statement, the Transitional Government in Mali makes serious accusations against Algeria. Despite their seriousness, all these false allegations barely disguise the attempt to find scapegoats and diversions to distract from the manifest failure of what remains a coup plot, which has plunged Mali into a spiral of insecurity, instability, desolation and destitution.

Algeria strongly rejects this tendency present in all the malicious and systematically unfounded attitudes by which the coup leaders ruling Mali vainly try to make our country a scapegoat for the setbacks and misfortunes for which the Malian people bear the heaviest price.

The failure of this unconstitutional clique is evident at every level: political, economic, and security. The only successes this same clique can claim are those of satisfying personal ambitions at the expense of Mali’s successes, ensuring its survival to the detriment of Mali’s protection, and the plundering of the meager resources of this brotherly country at the expense of its development.

The collusion that the Malian Government so blithely establishes between Algeria and terrorism lacks seriousness to such an extent that it would be superfluous to pay attention to it or respond to it. Indeed, Algeria’s credibility, commitment, and determination in the fight against terrorism need neither to be justified nor established. On the contrary, the overriding and most decisive threat weighing on Mali today undoubtedly lies in the inability of the coup leaders to carry out a real and effective fight against terrorism, to the point of entrusting its management to mercenaries, a plight Africa has greatly suffered from in its recent history.

The destruction of a Malian drone by Algerian Air Defense Forces immediately gave rise to an official statement from the Ministry of National Defense. The Algerian Government stands by the terms of this statement and wishes to add the following:

Firstly, all data regarding this incident is available in the database of the Algerian Ministry of National Defense, particularly radar images which clearly establish the violation of Algeria’s airspace.

Secondly, this is not the first violation of Algeria’s airspace by a Malian drone but rather the third in just a few months. The first two violations occurred on August 27, 2024, and December 29, 2024, respectively. All data related to these violations is available in the Ministry of National Defense database.

Thirdly, regarding the incident on the night of March 31 to April 1, 2025, all available data in the database of the Algerian Ministry of National Defense, including radar images, establishes a violation of Algeria’s airspace at 12:08 AM over a distance of 1.6 km. The drone in question initially violated national airspace, moved away, and then returned following an offensive trajectory.

Fourthly, the entry of the Malian drone into Algerian airspace, its retreat, and subsequent offensive return to the area were qualified as hostile maneuvers. Following this qualification, the Algerian Air Defense Forces Command ordered its destruction.

Moreover, the Algerian Government deeply regrets the ill-considered alignment of Niger and Burkina Faso with the false narratives presented by Mali. It also regrets the outrageous and unjustified language used against Algeria, language which it condemns and rejects in the strongest terms.

The Algerian Government also regrets having to apply reciprocity by recalling its Ambassadors to Mali and Niger for consultations and defer the entry on duty of its new Ambassador to Burkina Faso.