Tensions between Algeria and France have flared once again following Algeria’s expulsion of 12 French consular staff, marking the largest such move since the country gained independence in 1962.
The decision comes in retaliation to charges filed in France against an Algerian consular official and two others, accused of involvement in the abduction of an opposition dissident in the suburbs of Paris last year. Algiers condemned the arrest, calling it “a flagrant contravention of the immunities and privileges” afforded to diplomats.
According to Algeria’s state-run news agency APS, the judicial action is being viewed as a calculated move to derail recent efforts to restore diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Just weeks ago, French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held a phone conversation, a rare gesture that signaled a potential thaw in the strained relationship. That was followed by a visit to Algiers by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in early April, seen as a further step toward reconciliation.
However, the expulsion of French personnel suggests that powerful anti-French sentiments remain entrenched in Algerian political circles.
Observers suggest the real target of Algeria’s ire may not be President Macron himself, but rather France’s hardline Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. Known for his tough stance on immigration and his critical views on Algeria, Retailleau is believed to be positioning himself for a presidential run. Algiers appears to hold him responsible for the arrest of the Algerian diplomat, interpreting it as a political move to undermine Macron’s more moderate approach.
Notably, several of the expelled consular staff are affiliated with France’s interior ministry, underscoring the belief that this is as much a political message as it is a diplomatic action.
Algerian analysts frequently blame France’s right-wing and far-right factions for straining bilateral ties, though they have shown a recent willingness to give Macron some benefit of the doubt. This is despite the fact that it was Macron who sparked the initial diplomatic fallout last July by signaling closer strategic ties with Morocco, Algeria’s long-time rival.
Since then, relations have deteriorated sharply. Trade has stalled, intelligence cooperation has weakened, and both sides have traded accusations — from France criticizing Algeria for not accepting deportees, to Algeria accusing France of mistreating its diplomats.
A particularly stark moment came in November with the arrest of 80-year-old Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal at Algiers airport. Suffering from cancer, he was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of threatening state security. Paris had hoped President Tebboune might release Sansal on humanitarian grounds, but that now seems unlikely in light of recent events.
With diplomatic tensions at their highest in years, any hopes for a quick reconciliation between France and Algeria have dimmed considerably.
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