Algeria expels French personnel as diplomatic row escalates

The Algerian authorities have demanded immediate repatriation of several French personnel, deepening tensions that threaten to unravel months of attempted reconciliation efforts between the two adversaries. According to Algerian outlet AL24 News, the demand was issued during a meeting between France’s chargé d’affaires and officials at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 11.

Officials stated that 15 French personnel entered Algeria without submitting proper notification or accreditation requests in advance. Some individuals carried diplomatic passports, despite their roles requiring service passports, prompting suspicion.

Algiers and Paris seem to be engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat. After the abduction of Algerian social media influencer Amir DZ and the arrest of an Algerian consular officer on French soil in April, Algeria expelled 12 French diplomats within 48 hours. France responded by restricting visas for several Algerian officials, including those with diplomatic passports.

Now, in response to what he views as an escalation, French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, told reporters on May 12 that France would respond to Algeria “immediately, firmly, and in a manner proportionate to the harm it is doing to our interests,” condemning the expulsion as “an incomprehensible and brutal decision.”

The back and forth adds to a catalog of unresolved disputes. France continues to back Algeria’s rival, Morocco, in its claim to the Western Sahara, while Algeria grows increasingly isolated in its support for the Polisario Front. On migration, Algeria has refused to accept the return of some nationals expelled by France, prompting French officials to consider revising the 1968 bilateral agreement that defines the legal status of Algerians residing in France.

Colonial history remains a deeper source of contention. Algeria is still known as the “country of a million martyrs” because of the number of people killed by France during the fight for independence in 1962. French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2021 remarks accusing Algeria of “weaponizing historical memory” saw widespread outrage. Algeria responded by recalling its ambassador and banning French military aircraft from its airspace temporarily.

Despite these clashes, both sides remain open to talks. On March 31, Macron and Algeria’s president Abdelmadjid Tebboune spoke on the phone, signaling that diplomacy is still on the table, even as relations remain strained.

AL24 News/ Maghrebi