Malian PM accuses Algeria of ‘supporting international terrorism’

LONDON - Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga accused Algeria of "supporting international terrorism" during his address Friday to the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Maïga denounced Algeria as a “champion of the promotion of terrorism and an exporter of terrorism,” accusing the North African country of actively undermining Mali’s sovereignty and for its proximity to armed terrorist groups active in border areas and the Sahel.

The Malian army and its Russian allies suffered heavy losses during a Tuareg-majority rebellion last July in the border region.

The strong accusations come amid heightened tensions between Bamako and Algiers since April 1, 2025, when Mali denounced the shooting down of a Malian drone by the Algerian army, which it described as a violation of its sovereignty.

Algeria, for its part, rejected these accusations, saying that its airspace was violated by a Malian aircraft. The incident prompted both countries to recall their ambassadors close their airspaces.

“I cannot ignore the destruction of a drone aircraft belonging to the Malian Armed Forces by the Algerian junta on April 1, 2025,” said Maiga.

“Mali strongly condemns this aggression and has referred the matter to the International Court of Justice,” he added.

Maiga called on Algeria to respect Mali’s sovereignty and promote peace constructively.

The Malian Prime Minister also criticized Ukraine, with which diplomatic relations have been severed for over a year. He accused Kyiv of contributing to Mali's military defeat by supplying suicide drones to terrorist groups.