Crisis Over the Turkish Akinci Drone: Between Algeria, Mali, Separatists, and Turkish Stakes — A Demonstration of Algerian Supremacy
Early April 2025: Algerian Forces Shoot Down Malian Bayraktar Drone—A Strategic Shockwave Across the Sahel-Maghreb Region In early April 2025, an aerial incident involving a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci drone operated by the Malian army sent shockwaves through the Sahel and Maghreb regions. The drone reportedly breached Algerian airspace by two kilometers before being shot down by Algerian armed forces in under 26 seconds. This brief timeframe was enough to underscore a sharp strategic reality: Algeria's clear technological and operational superiority in aerial warfare and counter-drone systems. 1. Algeria: A Clear Message, A Proven Capability In an official statement issued on April 3, 2025, Algeria's Ministry of National Defence announced that its air defense units had detected, identified, and destroyed a foreign drone that violated national airspace near Bordj Badji Mokhtar. The aircraft, identified as a Turkish Akinci operated by Malian forces, was reportedly downed le...