In what France has described as ‘unjustified’, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday that the move would be retaliated.
When the foreign minister visited Algiers last month, tensions briefly eased, but a week later, diplomatic expulsions caused tensions to rise once again.
Also very recently, French president, Emmanuel Macron, also visited Madagascar in an attempt to resuscitate its faltering ties with Africa.
However, on Monday, Algeria’s public agency APS said that France’s charge d’affaires had been notified that 15 French diplomats were in illegal posts and would be removed.
“The departure of agents on temporary missions is unjustified, and as I did last month, we will respond immediately and strongly and proportionately,” Barrot told reporters in Normandy.
Last month, Algeria expelled a dozen French agents, and in return, France expelled the same number of Algerian envoys within its borders, as seen on Reuters.
The move triggered a strong protest from Algiers, with the Algerian government demanding an immediate explanation from France and the release of the consular agent
France and Algeria in recent months
The relationship between France and Algeria, a former colony, has always been tense, but last year things became worse when President Emmanuel Macron infuriated Algiers by expressing support for Morocco’s position in the disputed Western Sahara territory.
Algeria reacted negatively to France’s decision to support Morocco’s autonomy over Western Sahara, and withdrew its ambassador in August of the same year.
In December 2024, Algeria accused French intelligence services of coordinating “destabilizing activities” within its borders.
By 2025, pro-regime Algerian influencers were detained by French police on charges of inciting violence against Algerian rebels.
Youssef Zazou, Nouman Boualem, and Imad Obi, often known as “Imad Tintin,” are among the detained.
Similarly, Algerian authorities imprisoned Boualem Sansal, a French-Algerian writer, in Algiers, a move denounced by French President Emmanuel Macron.
