Watan-Paris announced on Tuesday the recall of its ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, for consultations, and the expulsion of 12 employees working at the Algerian Consulate and Embassy in France. This comes in response to Algeria’s decision to expel employees working at the French Embassy, as announced by the Élysée Palace on Tuesday.
The French presidency expressed deep regret and dissatisfaction with the Algerian decision, describing it as “unjustified and contrary to the basic rules of judicial procedures,” holding Algerian authorities responsible for the sudden deterioration in bilateral relations.
The Élysée emphasized that “France will continue to defend its interests and will continue to demand that Algeria fulfill its commitments, especially regarding national security and cooperation on immigration issues.”
France Urges Dialogue as Algeria Defends Arrested Consular Employee
It also stressed that “France is keen to maintain a responsible and constructive relationship with Algeria, based on mutual interests, shared history, and human ties between the two peoples.” The French presidency concluded its statement by urging Algerian authorities “to act responsibly and engage in serious and constructive dialogue, continuing the path that began on March 31 between the two countries’ presidents.”
This comes as an Algerian government official made statements for the first time about the case of the consular employee who was arrested in Paris, allegedly involved in the kidnapping of opposition activist Amir Dizaid.
Sofiane Chayeb, the Secretary of State for National Affairs Abroad, stated in an interview with Algerian television that the Algerian consular employee was detained in the street “in unprecedented circumstances, without adhering to the usual legal procedures.”
The official explained that “this action violates all diplomatic norms and conventions and constitutes a blatant violation of the agreements and treaties between the two countries.” He added regarding the French justification: “He was arrested under the pretext that his mobile phone was linked to the address of someone on the run (Amir Dizaid), which is a weak excuse to undermine Algerian-French relations, which were starting to return to normal.”
Chayeb considered that this disgraceful act occurred after Algerian-French relations had entered a period of de-escalation following a phone call between the two countries’ leaders, followed by the French Foreign Minister’s visit to Algeria. He pointed out that “Algeria has expressed its clear position at every stage of this case, especially since the detained consular employee is entitled to the protection, immunity, and privileges associated with his consular duties.”
Algeria Responds to France with Expulsions and Economic Setbacks Amid Growing Tensions
The Secretary of State affirmed that the expulsion measures announced by the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are a sovereign decision in response to the detention of the consular employee, noting that the Algerian response “was proportional to the French act and included employees only connected to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is responsible for the deterioration in relations.”
In further developments in the crisis, the Algerian Economic Renewal Council announced the cancellation of a planned visit to France, as well as the cancellation of a scheduled meeting with the French employers’ organization, MEDEF.
The Council, led by businessman Kamal Moulai, who is close to the presidency, explained in a statement on Tuesday that the decision came in response to French authorities preventing a French shipping company executive from traveling to Algeria to implement an investment project.
The statement pointed out that this move came under the pretext of “the ongoing crisis between the two countries,” which was considered a stark contradiction to official statements calling for de-escalation and the return of Algerian-French relations to their natural course.
The statement criticized what it described as the “double standard” of French authorities, who have repeatedly expressed concern over the weak participation of French companies in Algerian tenders, while taking actions that hinder private investment initiatives.
This sudden escalation comes after the two countries had resumed dialogue following a phone call between Presidents Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Emmanuel Macron on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, followed by a visit from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Algeria and his announcement of the restoration of all forms of cooperation with Algeria.
-
-
-
-
-
-
