Algeria denies having annexed parts of Mali border town 

The Algerian Ministry of Defence yesterday denied allegations that the army had annexed parts of a Malian border town.

Its statement came in response to media reports about the presence of the Algerian army in the the Malian border town of In Khalil.

The statement said: “The malicious allegations about the possible presence of the People’s National Armed Forces in the border town of In Khalil, northern Mali, to annex parts of it, are completely untrue.”

“These fallacies were made up following a technical mission carried out by specialists of the army’s Department of Geography and Remote Detection, who were accompanied by a unit of security and protection detachment within the national territory, to inspect the border line with Mali near the town of In Khalil.”

The statement explained that “this technical mission ended on 21 September, before the army personnel left the location without any incident being recorded.”

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“Algeria affirms its full commitment to respecting the sovereignty of states and the inviolability of borders, especially with the sisterly state of Mali.”

News and social media platforms in Mali recently circulated reports about the intervention of an Algerian army unit in the border town of In Khalil, to supervise and secure the annexation of part of it to Algeria.

The Malian authorities did not issue an official comment on the reports.

In May 1983, Algeria and Mali signed an agreement on the demarcation of their borders.