Algeria to Restore Diplomatic Ties with Niger After Sahel Dispute
Nearly a year after a diplomatic rupture sent ambassadors home, Algeria and Niger are quietly mending fences. The Algerian foreign ministry announced Thursday that its ambassador would immediately return to Niamey, with Nigerien authorities confirming their own envoy had already resumed duties in Algiers.
The announcement marks a measured step toward rebuilding trust between neighbors whose relations were severed under tense circumstances.
The Incident That Broke the Bond
The rift traces back to April 2025, when Algeria shot down a Malian army drone near its southern border. Mali insisted the aircraft was operating within its own territory. Algeria cited radar data showing the drone had violated Algerian airspace. Regardless of where the truth lies, the consequences were immediate and regional.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—three nations that formalized their Alliance of Sahel States in 2023—withdrew their ambassadors from Algiers in solidarity. Algeria responded in kind, recalling its envoys from all three capitals.
A Narrow but Significant Step
Thursday’s announcement is deliberately limited. It restores bilateral ties with Niger but leaves Algeria’s parallel disputes with Mali and Burkina Faso unresolved. Relations with Bamako remain particularly fraught. Their airspace is closed to one another. Mali’s government has publicly accused Algeria of fomenting regional terrorism—an allegation Algiers vehemently denies.
The Algerian foreign ministry framed the rapprochement with Niger as a foundation for broader reconciliation, stating that the return of both ambassadors would “promote resuming political dialogue” and strengthen “fraternal relations, cooperation and good neighborliness.”
The Sahel’s Shifting Alliances
The AES confederation represents a significant realignment in West African geopolitics. Its members have distanced themselves from traditional Western partners and turned toward Russia for security cooperation. This posture has complicated Algeria’s longstanding role as a regional mediator and counterterrorism partner.
Restoring ties with Niger does not resolve these deeper tensions. It does, however, reopen a channel of communication that had been sealed for nearly a year. In a region where diplomatic isolation can quickly compound insecurity, that alone carries value.
What Comes Next
Niamey and Algiers have signaled willingness to turn the page. Whether Bamako and Ouagadougou follow remains an open question. Algeria’s airspace remains closed to Malian aircraft. Malian officials continue to voice suspicions of Algerian involvement in their internal affairs. The drone that crashed near the border last April remains, in some ways, still falling.
For now, Algeria and Niger have chosen dialogue over distance. In the fragile ecosystem of Sahel diplomacy, that choice is neither small nor guaranteed to last. But it is a beginning.
Also Read:
Key Highlights from the German Parliament Speaker’s Visit to Gaza
Colors of the Desert: Sahara Cultures Take Center Stage in Chad
