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Rabat — Algeria called in France’s top diplomat on Wednesday to protest comments the French Embassy made about visa procedures, marking another escalation in the ongoing diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
The confrontation reportedly started after France’s embassy announced Tuesday that it would cut its diplomatic staff in Algeria by one-third starting in September.
France blamed Algeria for refusing to approve visas for new French personnel.
Algeria’s Foreign Ministry hit back hard, accusing Paris of using “blackmail” tactics over visa issues. The ministry said it completely rejected the French embassy’s public statement.
Algeria claims France broke protocol
Algerian officials warned the French representative that his embassy crossed a line by speaking directly to the Algerian public. They accused France of twisting facts to make Algeria look like the only party at fault for blocking French staff appointments.
The French Embassy had said that worsening relations between the two countries forced it to reduce staff at missions in Algiers, Oran, and Annaba.
France claimed this staff shortage would hurt its ability to process visa applications from Algerians.
But Algeria fired back, saying its decision to block French diplomats came after France did the same thing first. Algerian officials said they tried everything to solve the problem before taking action.
Both sides point fingers over diplomatic staffing
Algeria’s Foreign Ministry said the situation breaks international diplomatic rules.
The ministry claimed it only started blocking French staff after France refused for more than two years to approve Algerian diplomats.
According to Algeria, 46 of its diplomatic and consular workers still cannot take their jobs in France because French authorities won’t approve them.
This delay hurts services for Algerians living in France, the ministry said.
Roots of the conflict
The diplomatic crisis stems from a major falling out in July 2024. Algeria took issue with Paris after France recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
Both Algeria and France downgraded their diplomatic ties to the lowest level in the wake of this disagreement. They now only maintain representation through chargés d’affaires instead of ambassadors.
