Algeria bars French diplomats from port and airport access

Algeria revoked all special access cards previously issued to the French Embassy for entry to Algerian ports and airports on July 26th, responding directly to alleged limitations imposed on its diplomats operating in France, as reported by MENAFN on July 27th.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement that it has “reclaimed all privileged access cards to the country’s ports and airports that had been granted to the French Embassy in Algiers.”

This decision followed the ministry’s second summoning of the French chargé d’affaires on the same day, accusing France of a “blatant violation of international obligations” following supposed interference with the sending and receiving of diplomatic pouches, citing “persistent obstacles”.

According to the ministry, the French government’s obstruction initially targeted only the Algerian Embassy in Paris but has now expanded to affect Algeria’s consular offices across France. This development comes despite prior French Foreign Ministry assurances that these restrictive actions would be reconsidered.

This diplomatic conflict signals a sharp escalation in the ongoing and most serious strain between Algeria and France since Algeria’s 1962 independence.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot recently declared that ties between France and Algeria were now “totally blocked,” despite earlier efforts by President Emmanuel Macron and his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to ease tensions. During a phone call in late March, the two leaders pledged to pursue dialogue. However tensions show little sign of easing with Algeria’s latest diplomatic decision.

Tensions peaked when both countries lowered their diplomatic engagement to chargés d’affaires level in July 2024, following tit-for-tat diplomatic sparring and France’s official support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, a stance that is vehemently opposed by Algeria.

MENAFN, Azerbaycan24, Maghrebi.org