Algeria-France relations reach "totally blocked" state

Algeria is set to expel more French diplomats, with France ready to respond with its own expulsions. The relationship between the two countries continues to deteriorate with no solution poised.

According to France 24, the decision was made by France on the 14th of May as Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot made their stance clear.

Talking to BFMTV, he explained that he would summon Algeria’s charge d’affaires for information on the decision that he said was “perfectly proportionate at this point” to the Algerian move, which he called “unjustified and unjustifiable”.

In what is a definitive and worrisome statement for the two countries’ relationship, he concluded that the relationship is now “totally blocked.”

This is not the first case of expulsions as on the 15th of April France expelled 12 Algerian diplomats after Algeria had ordered the expulsion of 12 of the French diplomats in the previous 48 hours.

It is clear that with these new expulsions and Barrot’s comments that this situation has hit a serious boiling point and all ties between the two countries will be cut.

The original issue for these ties relates to the issue of ownership in the Western Sahara.

France has aligned its support for control in the region with the Moroccan side, as Emmanuel Macron openly agrees with Moroccan control there.

This seriously angered Algeria and strained their relationship with the country as it directly went against their interest in backing the Polisario Front, who control a small section of the territory, while Morocco has wider sovereignty in the region.

Since April, it appears to many analysts that Algeria is using these expulsions to get under the nose of the French government, which soured the relationship for their clear backing of Morocco in the Western Sahara.

With Barrot claiming this relationship is now “totally blocked”, it seems to many that Algeria has now lost any chance of support by France in the region and any chance of alliance with the European country.

France 24, Maghrebi.org