AES Confederation 'will not stand by in the face of attacks,' Mali PM tells UN

Speaking to the UN on Friday, Mali’s prime minister accused Algeria of ‘international terrorism’ over the downing of a Malian army drone. Algeria says the drone had entered its airspace. 

Abdoulaye Maïga said his country and its allies, Burkina Faso and Niger,  would stand together in the face of attacks. 

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso will stand together in the face of attacks, Mali’s prime minister told the UN on Friday. His comments came as he accused Algeria of ‘international terrorism’:  

“Under the leadership of our Heads of State, the Defense and Security Forces of the three countries of the AES Confederation work closely together in an unprecedented spirit of collaboration and complementarity," Abdoulaye Maïga told the assembly.

"They are driven by a shared commitment and a pooling of efforts to curb the scourge of terrorism. This new dynamic, centered on strengthening the operational capacities of our Defense and Security Forces through mass recruitment, adequate training, and provision of appropriate equipment, produces encouraging results on the ground every day, thus confirming the full relevance of our sovereign decision to unite in order to combat our common enemies.In the face of attacks and adversity, we will not stand by: for every bullet fired at us, we will respond; for every word twisted against us, we will respond in kind.”

The AES Confederation was formed last year after the three countries withdrew from the ECOWAS alliance of West African states. They all face internal security threats from jihadist insurgents. 

“The AES Confederation gives the United Nations a historic opportunity: to stand on the side of truth; to recognize that the people of the AES are under attack; and to support a Confederation that fights both for itself and for Africa, for the stability of the continent, and, indirectly, for that of the entire world,” Maïga said.

Last week, the three nations withdrew from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, calling it "an example of selective justice.” 

Tensions with Algeria

Algeria once served as a key mediator during more than a decade of conflict between Mali’s government and Tuareg rebels. But the two countries have grown apart since a military junta staged coups in 2020 and 2021, putting military personnel in charge of the country’s key institutions.

Earlier this month, Mali filed a case against Algeria at the International Court of Justice, accusing its neighbor of “premeditated destruction” of a Malian military reconnaissance drone.

Mali’s Ministry of Territorial Administration said in a statement that Algeria destroyed a Malian drone on the night of March 31 near Tinzaouaten, in Kidal region, allegedly with the aim of hindering Mali's military campaign against armed rebels.

It said the destruction of the drone violated the principle of non-use of force, adding that Algeria declined to provide evidence that the drone entered Algerian airspace.

In a strongly worded statement, the ministry called the destruction of the drone a “blatant aggression” and “the culmination of a series of hostile acts and malicious actions, repeatedly denounced by the Malian authorities.”

Immediately after it shot down the drone, the Algerian army said the aircraft had entered Algerian airspace near Tin Zaouatine, a border town and stronghold for Tuareg separatists opposed to Mali’s government. It did not specify who the drone belonged to.

Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has long battled an insurgency by armed militants, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Following two military coups, the ruling junta expelled French troops and instead turned to Russia for security assistance. But the security situation remains precarious, and attacks from extremist groups linked with al-Qaida intensified in recent months.

The ICJ case comes as tensions rise between Algeria and its southern neighbors, including Mali.

Algeria has one of Africa’s largest militaries and has long considered itself a regional power but military leaders in neighboring Mali and Niger have distanced themselves as they’ve championed autonomy and sought new alliances, including with Russia.