Algeria on Monday ordered 12 French diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours and declared them "personae non gratae", marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions with France. The expulsions follow the arrest of an Algerian consular official by French authorities - a move Algeria has described as a flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity. France has confirmed that it has received notification of the expulsion of 12 embassy staff, including French interior ministry staff.
According to French media, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Algeria to "abandon" the expulsions and said France was ready to "react immediately" if the expulsions continued. The expulsion follows the summons on Saturday of French ambassador Stephane Romatet by Algeria to protest the arrest of its consular officer. The detained diplomat was reportedly being questioned over alleged links to the 2024 kidnapping of Amir Boukhorse, an Algerian activist living in Paris and known on social media as "Amir DZ".
Algeria dismissed the case against its consular official as baseless, saying the only evidence the French authorities cited was his phone, which was detected near Boukhors' residence. It demanded the diplomat's immediate release and called the arrest a "fabricated pretext" that undermined recent efforts to restore French-Algerian relations. Algeria warned that any further violation of its sovereignty would provoke a harsh response based on reciprocity.
The confrontation represents the most serious diplomatic rift between the two countries in years and strains relations that are still being shaped by grievances from the colonial era and modern disputes, including immigration and France's support for Morocco in the Western Sahara disputes.
CMG/gnews.cz-jav
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