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Rabat – New tensions have erupted between France and Algeria as the Algerian regime ordered 12 staff members of the French embassy to leave Algerian territory within 48 hours.
French news outlet Le Monde reported today that this decision came after the detention of an Algerian consular agent in France on Saturday.
The Algerian consular agent is suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of Algerian influencer Amir Boukhors in April 2024 in France.
“The de-escalation between Paris and Algiers was short-lived,” Le Monde reported, noting that France’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is warning of an immediate response if Algeria expels its agents.
“I call on the Algerian authorities to abandon these expulsion measures, which have no connection to the ongoing judicial process,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said last week.
The French diplomats Algeria seeks to expel include officials from the French Ministry of the Interior.
The decision comes amid remarks by France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has been threatening to leave Macron’s cabinet if his country backs down from taking a firm stance against Algeria.
Algeria has been reluctant to accept the return of its nationals subjected to deportation orders in France. Algeria’s resistance has been one of the key factors behind the brewing tensions between the two countries.
“It’s time to change gears with Algeria…We need to establish a show of force,” the interior minister previously said in February, noting that his country has been “kind enough” with the North African country.
Algeria’s expulsion orders against French consular agents also came amid Retailleau’s visit to Morocco.
The French minister arrived in Morocco on Sunday for a visit as part of the new chapter in bilateral relations aimed at strengthening cooperation across all levels, including migration and security.
A few weeks ago, France and Algeria had agreed to revive dialogue, with both heads of state reaffirming their commitment to addressing the recent tensions.
“As leading European and African actors committed to international law and the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter, they agreed to work closely together to give new momentum to this relationship in a spirit of friendship, addressing all aspects of bilateral relations with a focus on efficiency and results,” reads a communique issued following a call between the two presidents.
The short-lived revival of talks, however, is now followed by the summoning of the French ambassador to protest the arrest of the Algerian consular official.
The Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the arrest of the consular officer “without prior notification through diplomatic channels.”
Algeria’s regime has also taken issue with France’s decision to recognize Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
