DAKAR – Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso on Sunday said they have withdrawn their ambassadors from Algiers, accusing Algerian forces of shooting down a Malian drone.

The three military-run African allies announced the move in a joint statement after Mali accused Algeria of shooting down one of its drones over its territory in late March.

Algeria said on 1 April that it had shot down an armed reconnaissance drone in its airspace, without giving further details.

Mali’s foreign ministry said in a separate statement that authorities had concluded with “absolute certainty” that the drone was shot down in “hostile, premeditated action by the Algerian regime”.

The statement said the drone wreckage was found 9.5 kilometres south of the Algerian frontier, and that it had been shot down by “a ground-to-air or air-to-air missile”.

Calling it an “unprecedented act of aggression,” the statement said Mali “condemns in the strongest terms this hostile, unfriendly and condescending action by the Algerian authorities”.

Algeria did not immediately comment on the reported withdrawal of the ambassadors. 

– Nampa/AFP