ALGIERS, Algeria
Algeria on Monday ordered 12 French diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, declaring them "personae non gratae" in a move that marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions with France.
The expulsion follows the
arrest of an Algerian consular official by French authorities -- an action
Algiers described as a blatant violation of diplomatic immunity.
France confirmed receiving the
expulsion notice of the 12 embassy officials, including personnel from the
French Interior Ministry.
French Foreign Minister
Jean-Noel Barrot urged Algeria to "abandon" the expulsions and said
France was ready to "respond immediately" if they went ahead,
according to French media reports.
The expulsion follows
Algeria's summoning of French Ambassador Stephane Romatet on Saturday to
protest the arrest of its consular official.
The detained diplomat was
reportedly questioned over alleged links to the 2024 abduction of Amir
Boukhras, an Algerian activist based in Paris known on social media as
"AmirDZ."
Algeria dismissed the case
against its consular official as baseless, noting that the only evidence cited
by French authorities was his phone being detected near Boukhors' residence.
It demanded the diplomat's
immediate release, calling the arrest a "fabricated pretext" that
undermines recent efforts to restore Franco-Algerian ties.
Algiers warned that any
further infringement on its sovereignty would trigger a firm response based on
reciprocity.
The confrontation marks the
most serious diplomatic rupture between the two countries in years, straining a
relationship still shaped by colonial-era grievances and modern disputes,
including immigration and France's backing of Morocco in disputes over Western
Sahara.
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