Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed “profound dismay” on Wednesday at the recent statements of Ahmed Attaf, Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding Mali’s counterterrorism strategy.
In an official statement, the Malian ministry condemned Algeria’s alleged interference in its country’s internal affairs and reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating terrorism in collaboration with its regional partners. The ministry also referenced a previous statement, dated January 25, 2024, in which Mali accused Algeria of providing shelter and support to terrorist groups destabilizing the country.
Communiqué du Ministère des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération internationale de la République du Mali dénonçant la persistance de certaines Autorités algériennes à poursuivre des actes d’ingérence dans les affaires intérieures du Mali.
Bureau de l’Information et de la… pic.twitter.com/J7jkJ4xrmb
— Ministère des Affaires étrangères du Mali (@MaliMaeci) January 1, 2025
In yesterday’s statement, Bamako reiterated claims that Algeria not only hosts these groups but also orchastrated their actions against civilians in Mali and in the broader Sahel region.
The ministry suggested that Algerian officials “nostalgic for a bygone era” apparently find “hard to accept” the undeniable success of Mali’s armed forces in countering “terrorist groups supported by Algeria.” The statement criticized these officials for persistent acts of interference fraught with “paternalism, condescension, and disdain.”
Mali firmly rejected Algeria’s actions, pointing out that the country’s strategic decisions in its fight against terrorism are matters of national sovereignty. “Mali neither seeks nor accepts lessons from Algeria, which has conducted its own counterterrorism campaigns in full sovereignty in the past,” the statement read.
Mali’s ministry urged Algeria to focus on resolving its own “internal issues and contradictions, including the Kabyle question,” rather than using Mali as a platform to bolster its international influence. It warned against any further attempts by Algeria to implement what it called an “outdated firefighter-arsonist strategy.”
The ministry reaffirmed Mali’s determination to collaborate with Burkina Faso and Niger under the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) to eradicate terrorism in all its forms.
In early 2024, the Mali Republic abruptly terminated its participation in a peace deal known as the “Algiers Accords” that was also signed by Algeria and Tuareg rebels in 2015 in Algiers, Algeria, due to other signatories not having kept their commitments as well as hostility by the deal’s chief broker, Algeria.