France, July 11 -- Both governments released statements on Friday confirming that reprisal measures in place for the past 15 months would be reversed, with airspace immediately reopening to military and civilian aircraft and envoys preparing to redeploy.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries had been suspended since April 2025, after Mali accused Algeria of shooting down one of its reconnaissance drones in Malian airspace.

Algerian defence officials said the aircraft had strayed into Algeria's airspace near the border, a claim Mali's military government denied.

Mali, joined by its Sahel allies Niger and Burkina Faso, withdrew their ambassadors from Algeria over what they called an "act of aggression towards the entire confeder...