The drone that strained the diplomatic relations of the Sahel African coalition with Algeria!
The shooting down of a Malian drone over Algerian airspace has soured relations between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which have been strained by the three countries, with the three recalling their ambassadors from Algeria, according to Reuters.
The three allies of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which are under military rule, accused Algeria in a joint statement in March of shooting down the Malian drone.
Algeria announced on April 1 that it had shot down an armed reconnaissance drone over its airspace, without providing details.
In a separate statement, the Malian foreign ministry said that its authorities had “concluded with certainty” that “Algeria shot down the drone with premeditated hostile intent.”
The statement noted that the remains of the drone were found 9.5 kilometers south of the border between the two countries and that evidence indicated that it was shot down by a “surface-to-air or air-to-air” missile. In the statement, Mali described the incident as an “unprecedented violation” and condemned in the strongest terms “the hostile, unfriendly and humiliating action of the Algerian authorities.”