After more than a year of diplomatic estrangement, relations between Algeria and Mali are showing signs of improvement. Both nations have now reinstated their ambassadors and reciprocally reopened their respective airspaces.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed that the Algerian ambassador would return to Mali. This announcement followed the complete re-establishment of Algerian airspace access for both civilian and military aircraft traveling to and from its southern neighbor.

In a corresponding statement, the spokesman for Mali’s military government affirmed that Bamako had implemented similar reciprocal measures, signaling a mutual desire to normalize bilateral ties.

The diplomatic rift between the two African countries initially deepened last April after Algeria reported downing a Malian surveillance drone, citing a violation of its sovereign airspace. Bamako, however, presented a conflicting account, asserting that the drone was intercepted and shot down within its own national borders.

This period of strained relations between Algeria and Mali had significant implications for regional security across the Sahel. Mali is a key member of the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES), alongside Burkina Faso and Niger. In a show of solidarity with their ally, both Ouagadougou and Niamey also recalled their respective ambassadors from Algeria last April.