Mali’s Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga on Friday accused Algeria of committing “international terrorism” after its military shot down a Malian reconnaissance drone, escalating tensions between the two neighbors.
Speaking before the UN General Assembly, Maïga vowed that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, partners in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) would stand together against any external aggression.
“In the face of attacks and adversity, we will not stand by,” Maïga declared.
“For every bullet fired at us, we will respond; for every word twisted against us, we will respond in kind.”
He said the AES, formed last year after the three countries quit ECOWAS, has strengthened joint defense through mass recruitment, training, and equipment upgrades, producing “encouraging results” against jihadist insurgencies.
Algeria, once a mediator in Mali’s conflict with Tuareg rebels, confirmed earlier this year that its forces destroyed a drone that had entered its airspace near Tin Zaouatine, a town along the border.
Mali disputes the claim, saying the drone was operating over its own territory in the Kidal region, and has filed a case against Algeria at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of “premeditated destruction” and “blatant aggression.”
The dispute deepens a wider rift as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger distance themselves from regional blocs and Western partners, turning instead to Russia for military support after expelling French troops.
The three juntas also withdrew from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court earlier this month, denouncing what they called “selective justice.”
Maïga urged the UN to back the AES, framing it as a bulwark not only for its member states but also for Africa’s wider stability.
“The Confederation gives the United Nations a historic opportunity: to recognize that our peoples are under attack and to support a union that fights for Africa, and indirectly, for the world,” he said.
