The link between terrorism and organized crime has been increasing in the Maghreb region, threatening its security and development. The outbreak of war in Mali has sped up the deterioration of the situation across the Sahel region, which is fast becoming a hub for international trafficking.

This has led the Algerian authorities to rethink their strategy by consolidating the security system in order to fight against trafficking networks and other forms of crime. To do this effectively, the government has been working on strengthening and monitoring the borders in the southwest of the country. Algeria shares a border stretching over 2,826 km with its neighbors Mali, Morocco, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Mauritania

Closely monitoring this vast and barren region requires significant human and material resources, which is a crucial factor the Algerian authorities will not neglect as they employ all available means toward this purpose. Security services have intensified their efforts in the fight against terrorism and organized crime and have begun to track down terrorist networks and drug traffickers.

Since the outbreak of clashes in Mali, the 2,826 km border has been riddled with smuggling and trafficking operations. Security forces continue to mobilize in this area and have been monitoring the airspace on an almost daily basis.