ALGIERS / Abbas Mamouni / Anadolu

Algeria and Mali announced on Friday the reinstatement of their ambassadors and the reopening of their respective airspace to flights between the two countries, ending a diplomatic crisis that erupted in April 2025.

Mali's transitional government said in a statement that it decided to return its ambassador to Algeria and reopen its airspace to civilian and military flights to and from Algeria.

It added that this step comes "as part of revitalizing the ties of cooperation and friendship between Mali and Algeria."

The government noted that it will send back the Malian ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Algeria to his post in Algiers to resume his diplomatic duties.

In a similar move, Algeria announced the return of its ambassador to Mali, Kamal Ratieb, to Bamako as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, effective Friday.

Algeria's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "President Abdelmadjid Tebboun ordered the ambassador's return to Bamako out of a desire to restore Algerian-Malian relations to their historic and natural path, based on mutual respect and brotherly and cooperative ties, serving the interests of both countries and their brotherly peoples, as well as the countries of the Sahel region and the African continent."

Algeria's Defense Ministry also announced the reopening of Algerian airspace to all flights coming from or going to Mali, effective Friday, after more than a year of closure.

It clarified that the decision covers "all flights to and from Mali via all international destinations."

The crisis between the two countries dates back to April 2025, when Algeria closed its airspace to Malian aviation and recalled its ambassador from Bamako for consultations, citing what it called a "repeated violation" of its airspace by Malian drones, according to a statement from Algeria's Defense Ministry.

At the time, Algeria's Defense Ministry said: "Due to the repeated violation of our airspace by the state of Mali, the Algerian government has decided to close this airspace to air traffic coming from or going to Mali, effective today, April 7, 2025."

Prior to that, on April 1, 2025, Algeria's Defense Ministry announced it had shot down an armed drone that it said had violated its airspace near the border with Mali.

It was later revealed that the drone belonged to Mali, while the Malian military command condemned the downing and accused Algeria of targeting it inside its territory.