ANKARA: France regrets Algeria’s decision to expel 12 French diplomats, but will give a proportionate response, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Barrot stated that if Algeria decides to escalate, France will respond with all determination and will have no choice but to take similar measures. This statement was made during an interview with the France 2 broadcaster following Algeria’s order for 12 staff members of the French Embassy in Algiers to leave the country within two days. The expulsion occurred amid deteriorating bilateral relations, and Barrot noted that Algeria’s actions were a response to the detention in France of “three Algerian citizens suspected of committing serious crimes on French territory.”
Relations between Paris and Algiers have recently deteriorated sharply. In late 2024, writer Boualem Sansal, who received the French Academy Award in 2015 and obtained French citizenship in 2024, was detained in Algeria. The reasons for his arrest remain unclear, but media reports suggest it may be linked to his statements to French media outlet Frontieres. French President Emmanuel Macron urged Algeria to release Sansal, expressing that the country was dishonoring itself by denying him freedom. In response, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said that Macron’s remarks constituted interference in Algeria’s internal affairs.
The crisis in relations between the two countries also stemmed from France’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, a territory for which Algeria demands a referendum on self-determination. Additionally, in early October, the Algerian export-import licensing agency Algex informed companies that it would no longer issue permits for products imported from France and urged them to seek alternative suppliers, as reported by Le Figaro newspaper.