Mali and Algeria have mutually closed their airspace to all flights between the two countries, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions fueled by accusations of terrorism sponsorship and a recent border military incident.
On Monday, April 7, 2025, Mali’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure announced the immediate closure of its airspace to all Algerian civil and military aircraft, calling it an act of reciprocity. The Malian government accused the Algerian regime of persisting in sponsoring international terrorism.
Just hours earlier, Algeria’s Ministry of National Defense had declared the closure of its airspace to Mali, citing multiple violations by Malian military drones. Algerian authorities claimed to have shot down a Malian aircraft near Tinzaouatène on the night of March 31 to April 1, 2025, referencing two earlier incursions in August and December 2024.
In a strongly worded statement, Algiers labeled Mali’s transitional leaders a “putschist clique”, criticized their counterterrorism strategy, and condemned alleged use of mercenaries. Algeria also voiced disapproval of Burkina Faso and Niger’s alignment with Bamako, and subsequently recalled its ambassadors to both Mali and Niger, delaying the deployment of its new ambassador to Burkina Faso.
The diplomatic clash deepened when the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — announced the recall of their ambassadors from Algiers in response.
The fallout includes a halt to commercial air traffic, with Air Algérie’s recently resumed Bamako route suspended again. In 2023, Air Algérie carried 7.27 million passengers, with a 22% rise on African routes, especially Mali.
