The heads of state of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger, and Assimi Goïta of Mali, condemned in a statement published on Sunday, the Algerian irresponsibility that led, on the night of March 31 to April 1, to the destruction of a drone registered TZ-98D belonging to the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) in Tin-Zaouatène, in the Abeibara district, in the Kidal region (northern Mali).
According to Western intelligence services, the drone was shot down by an Algerian Air Force aircraft that was carrying out a reconnaissance and protection mission along the Algerian-Malian border to escort a convoy of about a hundred terrorists trained in Algerian military bases.
Bamako confirmed that the wreckage of the drone was located 9.5 kilometers south of the Algerian border but also 10.1 kilometers inside Malian territory, based on geostationary coordinates and other references, according to satellite imagery analysts.
Western experts believe that this maneuver aimed to secure southern Algeria, where separatist movements are fighting for autonomy. However, due to Algeria’s interference in Mali’s internal political and security affairs, the Malian government has become aware of Algeria’s intentions.
This act is seen by Bamako as an aggression against all member states of the AES Confederation, and as a treacherous attempt to promote terrorism and destabilize the region. « This incident is all the more serious because it prevented the neutralization of a terrorist group planning acts against AES members, » stated the Malian official press.
The ongoing crisis in Mali has for several years been attributed to the actions of Algerian intelligence services, who are accused of seeking to annex northern Mali in order to create a « buffer zone. »
In response, Bamako has terminated the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement stemming from the Algiers Process, signed in 2015 with rebel movements.
After recalling the ambassadors of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso in Algiers, the Algerian Ministry of Defense announced the immediate closure of Algerian airspace to all planes traveling to or from Mali, including commercial flights between Algiers and Bamako.