Sahel States have announced the recall of their ambassadors from Algeria.

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso issued a joint statement announcing on Sunday, April 6, the withdrawal of their diplomatic representatives from Algeria.

"The Board of Heads of State of the AEC (Alliance of Sahel States) has decided to recall the ambassadors of the member states accredited in Algeria for consultations," the three countries said in a joint statement, quoted by France 24.

This decision was made against the background of a sharp deterioration in relations between Mali and Algeria.

Earlier, on April 4, Russia and the Sahel states announced the establishment of a partnership in the fields of security and defense. The negotiators also condemned Ukraine's "criminal collusion" with terrorist groups operating in the Sahel States Alliance (AHS).