Algeria slammed Mali at the United Nations on Monday over the shooting down of a Malian drone in April that has strained relations between the two North African neighbors.
On Friday, Mali’s prime minister had accused Algeria of supporting “international terrorism” over the incident in which the Malian drone allegedly crossed into Algeria’s air space.
Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf responded Monday, saying “a member of the coup regime from Mali dares, through this rostrum, to attack Algeria… This is the height of rudeness and vulgarity.”
Since April, Mali has complained that Algeria shot down the Malian military drone over the Sahara inside Mali’s airspace.
Algeria said the drone had crossed into its airspace.
Abdoulaye Maiga, an officer serving as prime minister of Mali’s military junta, said last week that “for every bullet fired against us, we shall respond in turn.”
Mali has filed a complaint to the International Court of Justice, a move Algerian officials described as “shameless.”
Mali has been locked in a security crisis since 2012 with large parts of the country falling prey to criminal gangs and jihadists.
Last year, Mali’s rulers announced the termination of a 2015 peace accord with Tuareg rebels which had been mediated by Algiers, citing Algerian “hostility.”
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© Agence France-Presse
