Algeria and Mali have restored diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level 15 months after a crisis triggered by a border incident between the two African countries, Algeria’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
“President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has instructed Kamal Retaieb to return to Bamako as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Republic of Mali, effective July 10, 2026,” the Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a communique.
The ministry recalled that Algeria’s ambassador had been recalled for consultations on April 7, 2025 .
Earlier in the day, the Malian authorities also announced the return of their ambassador to Algeria and the resumption of operations at their diplomatic mission. In addition, Algeria and Mali announced the mutual reopening of airspace.
The improvement in bilateral relations comes amid intensified fighting between the Malian army and illegal armed groups, which launched a large-scale coordinated attack on Malian security forces’ positions on July 4.
Algeria and Mali share a border stretching more than 1,300 kilometers (807 miles). In October 2025, Algeria said its air defense systems had destroyed a drone that violated its border. Mali, however, claimed the drone had been shot down by Algerian forces while it was in Malian airspace.