Mali accuses Algeria of supporting “international terrorism”: diplomatic showdown at the UN

From the United Nations podium, Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga accused Algeria of supporting “international terrorism” after the downing of a drone belonging to Malian forces.

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Maïga declared: “We will not stand idly by in the face of adversity. For every bullet fired at us, we will respond in kind. For every insult, we will retaliate with an equal response.”

In his address to the UN General Assembly, he called on Algeria to “stop supporting international terrorism and firmly commit to strengthening peace.”

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Since April, Mali has accused its northern neighbor of shooting down a Malian military drone, which Bamako claimed was flying over its airspace in the desert. Algeria denied the allegation, stating that the aircraft had violated its own airspace.

Mali has lodged a complaint with the International Court of Justice, a move Algerian officials described as “provocative.”

The Sahelian nation has been plagued by security turmoil since 2012, with large parts of its territory vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

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