Algeria accuses France of bypassing diplomatic protocol, including failing to notify Algiers before appointing personnel
Algeria has ordered the immediate dismissal of a number of French diplomatic personnel who were allegedly appointed by Paris without the established protocols being followed, the North African state’s press service (APS) reported on Sunday.
According to the outlet, at least fifteen French employees have been assigned to diplomatic or consular positions in Algiers without France complying with the appropriate procedures, such as official notification or accreditation requests.
On Sunday, Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a senior French embassy official to protest “serious and repeated” breaches of international conventions governing diplomatic appointments.
“These employees, who previously held mission passports, have been granted diplomatic passports to facilitate their entry into Algeria… The same list included two employees from the French Ministry of the Interior, who were intended to perform part of the duties of those recently declared persona non grata,” APS reported, citing sources.
The alleged diplomatic breach comes as relations between the two countries remain strained on several fronts. Algeria has accused France of repeatedly denying entry to holders of Algerian diplomatic passports. The accreditation process for the former French colony’s newly appointed Consuls General in Paris and Marseille, as well as seven other consular officials, has reportedly also been stalled for over five months.
The latest move follows a similar expulsion in April, when Algeria ordered 12 French embassy staff to leave the country over what it described as “hostile acts” and interference in internal affairs. The decision came shortly after the arrest of an Algerian consular official in France, who is one of three Algerians charged with kidnapping government critic Amir Boukhors in 2024.
The arrest sparked outrage in Algiers, which condemned it as a violation of diplomatic immunity. Tensions have since worsened, fueled by disputes over visa policies, unresolved colonial-era grievances, and France’s support for Morocco’s position on the Western Sahara issue.
Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in an effort to mend fraying ties, during which both leaders agreed to maintain dialogue.
