Mali moves closer to Algeria but chooses Morocco on the most sensitive issue
Bamako is restoring relations with Algiers without reversing its diplomatic shift in favor of Morocco. In New York, Mali has just reaffirmed its support for the autonomy plan for the Sahara.
In the space of a few weeks, Mali has sent two very different messages to its Maghreb neighbors. It resumed dialogue with Algeria after a serious diplomatic crisis, then reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s position on the Sahara to Nasser Bourita.
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Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop confirmed this position after meeting with his Moroccan counterpart in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Bamako considers the autonomy plan the only “serious and credible” basis for resolving the conflict and believes that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the “most realistic” solution, reports la Map.
This position dates back to April 10, 2026. Mali then withdrew its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and abandoned a line historically defended by Algiers. It thus joins the countries that favor the autonomy plan presented by Morocco.
Bamako now separates the issues
This choice no longer prevents a rapprochement with Algeria. Relations had deteriorated sharply after a Malian military drone was destroyed near the Algerian border in April 2025. Ambassadors had been recalled and airspace closed.
De-escalation accelerated this summer. The ambassadors returned to their posts, air restrictions were lifted, and Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga traveled to Algiers on August 24. His Algerian counterpart, Sifi Ghrieb, returned the visit in Bamako on September 14. The Malian government describes this sequence as a “new dynamic” of cooperation.
Bamako is therefore clearly separating its priorities. With Algiers, it wants to restore border, security and economic dialogue. With Rabat, it is consolidating a diplomatic rapprochement already evident in military cooperation and Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic.
On Bladi.net : At the UN, Morocco’s Plan Gains Ground on Western Sahara
Abdoulaye Diop did not stop at recalling the position adopted in April. In New York, he expressed the hope that the General Assembly session would make it possible to advance the implementation of the Moroccan initiative. Mali therefore no longer supports only the principle of autonomy: it is now calling for it to advance within the framework of the United Nations.
