Algeria shoots down drone as tensions with Mali grow

Algeria has claimed to have shot down a military drone from Mali, as tensions continue to simmer between the two nations.

According to Associated Press on April 2nd, the army issued a statement that they had shot down an armed reconnaissance drone over Tin Zaouatine, a border town that is a stronghold for the Tuareg separatist group in Mali.

Whilst the Malian army has said that a drone of theirs has been shot down, they have not confirmed whether Algeria was responsible.

A member of the Morocco-based Policy Centre for the New South, Rida Lyammouri, claims the downing of the drone reflects wider frustrations from the Algerian army.

Tensions between Algeria and Mali continue to develop.

The Malian military junta has accused Algeria of supporting the Tuareg separatists who they define as “terrorists”.

Since the military junta has developed its power in Mali, tensions have grown between the two countries.

This is despite the fact that Algeria had served as a mediator between the Tuareg rebels and the Malian government for more than a decade.

However, since the military junta staged coups in 2020 and 2021, the nations have drifted apart.

Algeria has repeatedly denounced the military junta in Mali and has expressed concerns over the methods it has used in order to quash rebellions in the north of the country, near the border with Algeria.

The use of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group has been condemned by Algeria and in March last year the Human Rights Watch accused the group of killing civilians in Mali.

The continued instability in northern Mali has been responsible for the downfalls of previous governments.

Malian Prime Minister, Abdoulaye Maiga, promised to swiftly end the violence in the north of the country during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Therefore, Algeria’s decision to shoot down a Malian drone will have done little to soothe the tensions between the two governments as the military junta hopes to tackle rebel, separatist groups in the north.

Associated Press, Maghrebi