Algeria ordered twelve employees of the French embassy to return to her country immediately. They got 48 hours for this – said French Foreign Minister Jean -Noel Barrot. He announced that Paris was ready to answer if this decision was not withdrawn.
Key facts:
- There is no shortage of tensions in the difficult relations of France with Algeria recently.
- According to Paris, the decision to exclude diplomats is related to the detention of three Algerians in France.
- In the background of the case there is also a loud kidnapping of the influencer, which occurred in 2024.
The head of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in a statement issued on Monday announced that the Algerian authorities demanded that 12 French diplomats leave Algeria within 48 hours. Minister Barrot turned to the Algerian authorities to withdraw this decision and emphasize that “if the decision to explore our employees is upheld, we will have no choice but to answer it immediately.” Algeria has not yet confirmed this information. It was also not delegated whether 12 expelled diplomats were all the staff of this institution.
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Tensions between France and Algeria
According to Minister Barrot, the threat of expulsion of French diplomats occurs in the immediate consequence of arrest on Friday in France and charged with three Algerians suspected of participating in the kidnapping in 2024 near Paris Amir Boukhors, influencer and prominent opponent of the Algerian government. Among the detainees was, among others An employee of the Algerian consulate.
Algeria demands the extradition of Amir Boukhors to put him before the justice dimension. She issued nine arrest warrants behind him and accuses him of fraud and terrorism. France refused to give away a man who has been in this country since 2016 and received political asylum in 2023. After kidnapping last April, the perpetrators released him the next day.
Algeria is a former French colony and the relations between the two countries have been difficult for a long time, but last year they got worse. Recently, Minister Barrot stayed in Algeria with a visit, and after meeting President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that both countries want to “rebuild equal partnership”. According to the Algeria authorities, the last arrests of Algerians are an attempt to destroy efforts to repair relations.
See also: Three countries are withdrawing ambassadors from Algeria
Author/author: pb // mm
Source: Reuters, BBC, France24
Source of the main photo: Shutterstock