Algeria voiced deep concerns and regret after the transitional authority in Mali announced it terminated the peace and reconciliation agreement, known as the Algiers Agreement.
Algiers warned that the suspension carries risks for Mali and the entire region that is seeking peace and security.
Mali announced the "immediate suspension" of the 2015 agreement, attributing its decision to the failure of other signatories to honor their commitments and alleged "hostile actions" by Algeria.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry denounced the move, expressing deep concerns over the potential implications of this move.
Addressing the people of Mali, the Ministry acknowledged Algeria's unwavering support for the accord, emphasizing its sincerity, good faith, and solidarity.
It strongly refuted the Malian authorities' justification for abandoning the agreement, labeling the reasons presented as "untrue and completely irrelevant."
Rather, it said that over the past two years, Mali had shirked its responsibility in implementing the agreement and systematically rejected any efforts to revive it, said the Ministry.
Moreover, it added that Bamako was skeptical of the integrity of the international mediators, had even described as terrorists the signatories of the agreement and demanded the withdrawal of the UN mission.
The statement said these measures carefully paved the way for abandoning political efforts in favor of the military option to resolve the financial crisis.
The Ministry warned that opting for a military approach poses a significant threat to Malian unity, potentially inciting a civil war, hindering reconciliation, and endangering regional stability.
Mali's military government spokesperson, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, announced the end of the peace deal during a televised statement on Thursday.
The government "notes the complete impossibility of the deal," Maiga said, "and consequently announces its end, with immediate effect."
He said it was impossible to continue with the agreement because other stakeholders were not upholding their commitments, as well as "hostile acts" by Algeria, which acted as a primary mediator.
Meanwhile, the Front for the Coordination of Azawad Movements, one of Mali’s armed opposition organizations, said it wasn’t surprised at the abandonment of the agreement.
Spokesman Mouloud Ramadan said it was expected after Mali brought in Russia’s Wagner Group and expelled the UN mission.
Algeria and Mali share a 1,300 km border, which is a target for extremist groups, arms smugglers, illegal migration networks, and drug traffickers.
The relationship between Algeria and Mali became tense in recent weeks after the military authorities in Bamako summoned the Algerian ambassador in protest against "unfriendly actions and interference in the domestic affairs of Mali."
