Mali Algeria thaw: will political compromise end years of tension?

After over a year of escalating diplomatic friction, Mali and Algeria have taken a decisive step toward reconciliation. The announcement of restored diplomatic ties and reopened airspaces came as a surprise to many, particularly in light of Bamako’s sharp accusations against Algiers, which it accused of colluding with armed groups operating along their shared border—including jihadists from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), affiliated with al-Qaeda, and separatists from the Front de Libération de l’Azawad (FLA).