The Malian government has taken Algeria to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing its neighbour of deliberately downing a Malian military drone in what Bamako describes as a hostile attempt to shield armed groups in northern Mali.
According to Mali’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, the drone, identified as TZ-98D and operated by the Malian Armed and Security Forces, was destroyed by an Algerian missile strike during the night of March 31 to April 1. Bamako insisted the drone never left Malian airspace, denouncing the attack as “aggression” and a “premeditated hostile action.”
“The strike was nothing short of an attempt to hinder the neutralisation of armed terrorist groups,” the government alleged, accusing Algiers of collusion with rebels destabilising the region.
Malian authorities said their repeated efforts to obtain explanations from Algeria went unanswered, a situation that pushed Bamako to formally bring the matter before the ICJ.
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The fallout from the incident has deepened tensions between the two countries. Both Mali and Algeria shut their airspace to each other’s flights, while Bamako summoned the Algerian ambassador in protest. In solidarity, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, condemned the strike as a “treacherous way to promote terrorism” and recalled their ambassadors to Algiers.
Algeria, however, has rejected the allegations, maintaining that the drone violated its airspace. Algiers described Bamako’s accusations as “false,” recalled its own ambassadors to Mali and Niger, and postponed the planned accreditation of a new envoy to Burkina Faso.
