Bamako – Mali said Thursday it had filed an application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Algeria, accusing it of having shot down one of its military drones.
It said the drone, which was shot down in early April, was still in Malian territory, which would make the incident a violation of its airspace.
Algeria has rejected the accusation, citing defence ministry radar data to argue that the reconnaissance drone from junta-led Mali had violated its own airspace.
The issue has sparked a diplomatic crisis that has seen the neighbours recall their ambassadors and close airspace to each other.
In a statement Thursday, Mali’s territorial administration ministry said it had “submitted an application instituting proceedings against Algeria before the International Court of Justice”.
Communiqué N°079 par lequel le Gouvernement de la Transition informe que la République du Mali a déposé, ce jeudi 04 septembre 2025, auprès de la Cour internationale de Justice, une requête introductive d’instance contre la République Algérienne Démocratique et Populaire, suite à… pic.twitter.com/fMFpFOsWSt
— Ministère des Affaires étrangères du Mali (@MaliMaeci) September 4, 2025
The destruction of the drone within Malian territory “constitutes not only an aggression, a hostile act, but also a blatant violation of the principle of non-use of force and an act of aggression”, it argued.
“This flagrant aggression is the culmination of a series of hostile acts and clearly demonstrates an unhealthy collusion between terrorists and the Algerian regime,” it added.
Relations between Mali and its northern neighbour have deteriorated in recent years.
Mali accuses Algeria of maintaining “proximity to terrorist groups”, particularly in the border region.
🇲🇱🇩🇿Mali | #Bamako refers #Algeria to the International Court of Justice:
On Thursday, September 4, the Malian government officially filed an application instituting proceedings against the Algerian Republic with the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This action follows the… pic.twitter.com/lBJeCN3OQV
— Sahel Revolutionary Soldier (@cecild84) September 4, 2025
In January 2024, Mali’s junta scrapped a 2015 peace deal with separatist groups brokered by Algeria and which had long been considered essential for stabilising the country.
Since 2012, Mali has been gripped by violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group as well as local criminal gangs.
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Source: AFP
