On the morning of April 1, 2025, the Mali Air Force encountered a major setback when one of its recently acquired Bayraktar Akinci drones was lost near Tinzaouaten, a remote town near the Algerian border in northern Mali.
The Algerian military claimed responsibility for shooting down the high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).
The Ministry of National Defense announced in an official statement published on its Facebook page and website, that it had shot down a Malian drone over Tinzawatin after entering Algerian airspace over a distance of two kilometers.
This is the first time the Algerian Air Force has shot down a foreign drone, and it appears to be a clear message to the various countries making use of drones near its border. The detection and interception of the Malian drone was carried out by a unit belonging to the CFDAT.
Photographs of the wreckage, which included intact ROKETSAN MAM-T smart munitions and TEBER-81/82 laser/GPS guidance kits, circulated widely on social media.
Mali deployed it’s fleet of lethal drones against Tuareg rebel groups including the CSP-DPA.
The CSP-DPA, is a coalition primarily composed of Tuareg groups advocating for the independence of northern Mali—referred to as Azawad.
The loss of this advanced drone marks a critical moment in Mali’s conflict, raising questions about its military strategy, the effectiveness of its drone fleet, and the broader implications for security in the Sahel region.
The Bayraktar Akinci
The Bayraktar Akinci, developed by Turkey’s Baykar company, represents a leap forward in unmanned aerial technology. Unlike its predecessor, the widely used Bayraktar TB2, the Akinci is a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) drone designed for complex missions requiring extended range, heavy payloads, and advanced combat capabilities.
Powered by twin turboprop engines, the Akinci boasts a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) exceeding 6 tonnes and can remain airborne for over 24 hours. This endurance, combined with its ability to operate at altitudes above 40,000 feet, makes it a formidable tool for surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strikes.
The drone’s armament is equally impressive. It can carry a variety of munitions, including the ROKETSAN MAM-T (Mini Akıllı Mühimmat-T), a smart micro-munition designed for precision strikes against ground targets, and the TEBER-81/82 guidance kits, which convert conventional bombs into laser- and GPS-guided weapons.
These systems allow the Akinci to engage targets with pinpoint accuracy, a critical advantage in Mali’s sprawling northern deserts, where insurgents often operate in small, mobile groups. Additionally, the Akinci is equipped with advanced sensors, including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) systems, enabling it to detect and track targets in diverse conditions, day or night.
Mali’s acquisition of at least two Akinci drones in December 2024 was a milestone in its military modernization efforts. The country had already integrated 17 Bayraktar TB2 drones into its arsenal since December 2022, making it one of Africa’s leading operators of Turkish-made UCAVs.
The TB2s proved their worth in November 2023 during the recapture of Kidal, a rebel stronghold in northern Mali. In that operation, drone strikes disrupted CSP-DPA defenses, forcing fighters to abandon their positions without engaging in sustained ground combat. The Akinci was expected to build on this success, offering greater range and firepower to tackle the persistent insurgent threat in Mali’s vast and sparsely populated north.
The downing of the Akinci near Tinzaouaten is more than a tactical loss—it’s a strategic blow to Mali’s counter-insurgency campaign. Tinzaouaten, located in the Kidal Region near the Algerian frontier, is a hotspot for rebel activity, smuggling, and cross-border militancy. The area’s rugged terrain and proximity to Algeria provide insurgents with natural cover and supply routes, making it a challenging environment for military operations.
The Malian Armed Forces (Fama) have increasingly relied on drones to compensate for their limited manpower and resources. Mali’s northern territory spans over 800,000 square kilometers, much of it desert or semi-arid land, where traditional ground operations are logistically taxing and often ineffective against agile insurgent groups.
The Akinci, with its ability to loiter over target areas for extended periods and deliver precise strikes, was seen as a force multiplier, enabling Mali to monitor and neutralize threats without risking large troop deployments. Its loss so soon after entering service—less than four months after delivery—exposes vulnerabilities in this approach and may force a reevaluation of Mali’s reliance on unmanned systems.
The incident also raises questions about how the drone was brought down. While the Malian government has not released an official statement, the Algerian claims and the wreckage photos suggest it was destroyed by ground fire, possibly anti-aircraft weapons or a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS).
Such a development could alter the dynamics of the conflict, as Mali’s remaining drones—both Akinci and TB2 models—may now face heightened risks during operations.
The CSP-DPA, formed as a coalition of Tuareg and other northern ethnic groups, has been fighting for autonomy or independence since the early 2010s, with the conflict intensifying after the 2012 rebellion that briefly established Azawad as a de facto state. Although French-led interventions and Malian military operations have reclaimed much of the territory, the insurgents have persisted, leveraging their knowledge of the terrain and support from local communities.
The FLA, a newer player in the conflict, has aligned with the CSP-DPA to challenge Mali’s central government and its allies.
This escalation comes at a time when Mali’s security situation is already precarious. The withdrawal of French forces in 2022 and the end of the United Nations MINUSMA mission in 2023 left a vacuum that the Malian government has struggled to fill. The Fama, supported by the Russian Wagner Group, has prioritized northern operations, but the loss of the Akinci could strain this partnership and expose coordination challenges between Malian forces and their mercenaries.
Drones in Modern Warfare: A Double-Edged Sword
Mali’s experience with the Akinci reflects a broader trend in modern warfare, where drones have become indispensable tools for nations facing asymmetric threats. Across Africa, countries like Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Libya have adopted the Akinci, while the TB2 has seen action in conflicts from the Horn of Africa to the Maghreb.
Turkish drones gained international attention during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, where they decimated Armenian defenses, and in Libya, where they shifted the balance in favor of the Government of National Accord. Their affordability—compared to manned aircraft—and versatility have made them a game-changer for militaries with limited budgets.
For Mali, drones have been particularly valuable in combating the diffuse threats of insurgency and terrorism. The Sahel region, encompassing Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, has seen a surge in violence from jihadist groups like Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), alongside separatist movements like the CSP-DPA. Drones offer a way to monitor vast areas, strike targets with minimal collateral damage, and reduce the risks to soldiers in hostile environments.
However, the Tinzaouaten incident underscores the limitations of drone-centric strategies. While unmanned systems provide tactical advantages, they are not invincible. Rebel groups, often underestimated, can adapt by acquiring countermeasures or exploiting operational weaknesses, such as predictable flight patterns or vulnerabilities to ground fire. The loss of the Akinci may prompt Mali and other drone-reliant nations to invest in electronic warfare capabilities, decoys, or improved intelligence to protect their fleets.
The downing of the Akinci has ramifications beyond Mali’s borders, given the interconnected nature of security in the Sahel. Neighboring countries like Niger and Burkina Faso, also grappling with insurgencies, rely on Mali to contain threats that could spill across borders. A weakened Malian military could embolden rebel and jihadist groups, destabilizing the region further. Algeria, which shares a long border with Mali, has a vested interest in preventing escalation near Tinzaouaten, as it could disrupt its own security efforts against smuggling and militancy.
The loss of the Bayraktar Akinci is a wake-up call for Mali’s military leadership. While the government has yet to comment officially, the incident demands a reassessment of its northern strategy. Replacing the drone will be costly, and Mali’s limited budget—already stretched by economic sanctions from ECOWAS in 2022 and ongoing development needs—may delay acquisitions. In the interim, the Fama could shift focus to its remaining TB2s, though their lighter payloads and shorter range limit their effectiveness compared to the Akinci.
Longer term, Mali must address the root causes of the insurgency, including governance failures, ethnic tensions, and economic marginalization in the north. Drones alone cannot resolve these issues, and over-reliance on military solutions risks alienating communities that might otherwise support the state. The Tinzaouaten incident could galvanize efforts toward a more balanced approach, combining technology with diplomacy and development.
