Algeria has ordered the expulsion of more French diplomatic staff, in the ongoing deterioration of relations between the two countries. France’s foreign ministry said France will respond in a “firm” and “proportionate” way.
“The decision is incomprehensible and brutal,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Monday at a press briefing about Algeria’s request Sunday for staff at the French embassy in Algeria to leave.
On Sunday the Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry notified the French charge d'affaires of the expulsion of 15 people temporarily stationed at the French embassy in Algeria.
Algeria's justification
Algiers said the diplomatic agents did not have the right documents and had failed follow the proper procedures to enter the country, and it denounced the “flagrant and repeated failure of the French side to respect procedures”.
The French foreign ministry did not indicate how many staff members are concerned, but it disputed Algeria’s justification.
France argues that the agents, who hold diplomatic passports, did not need to follow any particular procedures because they were on temporary missions of less than 90 days.
“The expulsion of agents on temporary missions is unjustified and unjustifiable, and as I did last month, we will respond immediately, firmly and proportionately to the attack on our interests,” Barrot said.
In April, France recalled its ambassador to Algiers and expelled 12 Algerian diplomatic agents in response to Algeria’s expelling 12 employees from the French embassy, following France’s arrest of an Algerian consular agent in a case involving the kidnapping of a TikTok influencer critical of the Algerian government.
Barrot said the decision to expulse more agents is “neither in the interests of Algeria nor in the interests of France”.
(with newswires)
