A new turning point has just been crossed in the already fragile relations between Algeria and Mali. This Monday, April 7, 2025, Algiers made a radical decision by announcing the immediate closure of its airspace to all flights from or for Mali.
This measure follows repeated violations of the Algerian airspace attributed to the Malian authorities, according to an official press release from the Ministry of National Defense (MDN).
Algiers reacted on Monday to the recall of the ambassadors of Mali, Niger and Burkina who accuse him of having shot down at the end of March a drone of the Malian army in Malian territory.
“The Algerian government has learned, with a feeling of great dismay, of the Malian government government press release, as well as that emanating from the college of heads of state of the Confederation of the Sahel Confederation”, immediately announces the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, adding that “by its press release, the government of the transition to Mali brings serious accusations against Algeria”.
“Due to the repeated violations of our airspace by the State of Mali, the Algerian government has decided to close its airspace to any air navigation from or for Mali, from that day, April 7, 2025,” said the press release.
This closure decision constitutes a strong and unprecedented signal in relations between the two neighboring countries. It risks having significant consequences not only on commercial air links and economic exchanges, but also on regional efforts of security cooperation, in an already very unstable Sahelian context.
Algerian airspace represents a strategic corridor for flights to Bamako, the Malian capital, but also for humanitarian and military operations in the region.
