Mali and Niger have reignited sharp criticism of Algeria, accusing it of exporting terrorism into the Sahel by providing sanctuary, logistical backing, and indirect support to armed factions operating across their borders.
At a regional security gathering in Sénégal this week, officials from Bamako and Niamey stopped short of directly naming Algiers, yet their remarks mirrored months of direct allegations from Malian authorities. These claims assert that Algeria has evolved into a strategic rear base for terrorist and separatist movements active in northern Mali.
“Some neighboring states are currently hosting terrorist networks, aiding these groups, or routinely receiving hostile actors who launch strikes against our nations,” warned Abdoulaye Diop, Mali’s Foreign Minister, in an interview with Reuters.
Security experts trace today’s Sahel insurgency back to Algeria’s brutal civil conflict of the 1990s. According to analysts, defeated militant factions did not vanish but instead regrouped and moved southward, laying the foundation for today’s Sahel-based terror networks. For instance, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) emerged from Algeria’s Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), itself a breakaway faction of the Armed Islamic Group that battled the Algerian state during the “Black Decade.” For years, Algerian nationals led these groups, shifting their operations into Mali and the broader Sahara under mounting military pressure at home.
Persistent reports suggest collusion between Algerian security services and certain Sahel-based terrorist organizations.
Mali has formally condemned Algeria’s alleged support for terrorism at the United Nations, including in official statements and diplomatic correspondence issued after bilateral relations sharply deteriorated last year.
The root of the dispute lies in northern Mali, where Islamist militants and Tuareg-led armed factions have waged an insurgency against the Malian government for over a decade. Bamako alleges that these groups exploit porous borders and Algeria’s lenient approach toward militants operating along its southern frontier.
In September of last year, Abdoulaye Maïga, Mali’s Prime Minister, told the United Nations General Assembly that Algeria had shifted from a counterterrorism ally to what he termed an “exporter of terrorism” into the Sahel.
Accusations intensified in late March when Algerian forces shot down a Malian military drone near the border. Bamako described the incident as a deliberate act to shield terrorist leaders targeted by Malian counterterrorism operations.
In retaliation, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso jointly recalled their ambassadors from Algiers and issued a joint statement accusing Algeria of backing terrorism.
Niger has consistently stood with Mali in its dispute with Algeria. Following the drone incident, Nigerien authorities supported Mali’s diplomatic response and voiced solidarity against Algerian-backed terrorism.
Niger’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, has previously accused multiple foreign governments of sponsoring attacks against his country. Niamey has backed Bamako in its confrontation with Algiers, which the Sahel is increasingly viewing as a destabilizing force.
For now, the disagreement over Algeria’s role underscores a growing divide in West African security policy. Military leaders in the Sahel argue that terrorism cannot be eradicated as long as neighboring states continue engaging in what they perceive as permissive or destabilizing behavior.