Algeria and Mali have mutually banned flights between their airspaces, each governments introduced Monday, as diplomatic tensions proceed to rise.
On April 1, Algeria’s protection ministry mentioned the military had shot down an armed surveillance drone for violating the North African nation’s airspace close to the agricultural Saharan commune of Tinzaouaten.
Mali disagreed, noting that its drone wreckage was discovered 9.5 kilometres (5.9 miles) south of their shared border.
Algeria’s Foreign Ministry mentioned on Monday that knowledge associated to the incident, together with radar photos, confirmed a violation of Algerian airspace of 1.6 km. It mentioned it was banning flights to and from Mali because of recurrent violations of Algerian airspace.
Mali’s transport and infrastructure ministry responded by saying that it had closed its airspace to all Algerian plane because of Algeria’s “persistence in sponsoring international terrorism” – with out offering examples or proof of such exercise. Mali and its allies Burkina Faso and Niger recalled their ambassadors from Algeria for consultations over the incident, they mentioned on Sunday.
Algeria responded on Monday by recalling its ambassador to Niger and Mali and suspending the beginning date of its new ambassador in Burkina Faso.
In a joint assertion, the three Sahel nations condemned the “irresponsible act by the Algerian regime.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com