Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune decided on Thursday to send Algeria’s ambassador back to Niamey, effectively ending a period of diplomatic tensions triggered by the incident involving a Malian drone shot down by the Algerian army. The announcement was made by Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The decision follows the return to Algiers and the official resumption of duties, on February 12, 2026, of Niger’s ambassador accredited to Algeria. According to the statement, the move reflects the importance the head of state places on strengthening ties of fraternity, cooperation, and good neighborliness between the two countries.
Algerian diplomacy believes the step will help revive high-level bilateral political dialogue, restart various forms of cooperation between the two partners, and support the implementation of strategic projects contributing to regional and continental integration.
The crisis dates back to spring 2025, after the Algerian army destroyed a Malian drone on March 31 of that year in Tinzaouatine, in the far south of Algerian territory.
Mali accused Algiers of shooting down the aircraft on Malian soil, while Algerian authorities maintained that the drone had violated their airspace twice before being neutralized.
On April 6, 2025, the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States — Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso — announced the recall of their ambassadors from Algeria in protest.
Nearly a year later, diplomatic contacts between Algiers and Niamey gradually resumed. Last January, Algeria’s Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, visited Niger, where he met with the country’s top authorities. The visit also helped relaunch the activities of Sonatrach in Niger.
Last Saturday, Abdelmadjid Tebboune publicly addressed bilateral relations, expressing his respect for Niger’s president, General Abdourahamane Tiani, and extending him an official invitation to visit Algiers.