Algeria Expels 12 French Diplomats Amid Rising Tensions
According to the report, the French foreign minister visited the former African colony earlier this month in an attempt to mend diplomatic issues that brought the two countries to the brink of a diplomatic breakdown.
Algeria has ordered 12 French diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, escalating tensions between the two nations.
However, French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot has condemned the move, stating, “I urge the Algerian authorities to reverse these expulsion measures. If the decision to send back our officials is upheld, we will be left with no option but to respond immediately,” PressTV quoted him to have said.
The expulsion is linked to the recent arrest of three Algerian nationals in France, including a consular official, suspected of involvement in the 2024 abduction of Algerian influencer Amir Boukhors, a critic of the Algerian government.
Boukhors was released the day after his abduction.
According to the report, the French foreign minister visited the former African colony earlier this month in an attempt to mend diplomatic issues that brought the two countries to the brink of a diplomatic breakdown.
After a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Barrot said that both countries wanted to “rebuild a partnership of equals.”
This diplomatic row comes despite recent efforts to improve relations, including a phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and a visit by Barrot to Algeria.
Both sides had agreed to maintain dialogue, resume security cooperation, and strengthen trade ties.
On Saturday, Algeria’s foreign ministry summoned French Ambassador Stéphane Romatet to protest the arrest of an Algerian consular official “without notification through the diplomatic channels” and called for his immediate release, according to Algerian news agency.
French prosecutors had indicted three Algerians, including a consular official, the day before, on suspicion of involvement in the 2024 abduction of an opponent of the Algerian government, Amir Boukhors, who was released the next day, according to his lawyer, France24 reports.
The tensions between France and Algeria are rooted in historical and political differences. Algeria’s support for the independence of Western Sahara, a disputed territory, has been a point of contention.
In July, France supported Morocco’s autonomy plan for the region, prompting Algeria to recall its ambassador from Paris.
Other incidents have contributed to the strained relations, including the denial of entry to Algeria’s ambassador’s wife to France in March, which Algeria called a “provocation”.
Macron’s call for “mercy and humanity” toward jailed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has also been a point of discussion between the two countries.
