Bilateral Relations Strains as Algeria Expels French Diplomats

Algeria’s expulsion of 12 French consular officials this week has shattered hopes for a swift reconciliation between the two countries, marking the most significant diplomatic rupture since Algeria’s independence from France in 1962, a move that reinforces deepening political fractures and signals that anti-French sentiment remains potent within Algeria’s governing elite.  

The expulsion order came on Friday, 11th April was in direct response to French prosecutors charging an Algerian consular official and two others for allegedly orchestrating the abduction of an Algerian opposition dissident in Paris a year ago. Algeria condemned the arrest as a “blatant violation” of diplomatic immunity, with its state news agency APS alleging the incident was deliberately timed to sabotage recent efforts to mend ties. “This unprecedented judicial act aims to derail the bilateral relaunch agreed upon by both presidents,” APS stated, framing the charges as politically motivated. 

The expulsion abruptly halts a fragile diplomatic thaw. In late March, French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held their first phone call in months, raising hopes of ending a crisis that began in July 2023 when Macron pivoted France’s strategic focus toward Morocco, Algeria’s regional rival. A follow-up visit to Algiers by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot last week seemed to reinforce the mutual intent to rebuild relations. However, Algeria’s drastic retaliation—expelling over a dozen French officials—reveals persistent resistance to détente within Algerian power circles. 

Analysts suggest Algeria’s ire is less directed at Macron than at his interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, a right-wing conservative eyeing France’s 2027 presidential race. Retailleau, known for hardline rhetoric on immigration and Algeria, has clashed with Macron’s more conciliatory stance. Notably, several expelled French staff were linked to Retailleau’s ministry, fueling Algiers’ claims that he is undermining Macron’s outreach. Algerian commentators frequently accuse French right-wing factions of stoking tensions, alleging that Retailleau’s camp seeks to exploit Franco-Algerian discord for electoral gains. 

The fallout represents the nadir of Franco-Algerian relations in six decades. Key collaborations, from trade to counterterrorism intelligence, have frayed, while mutual recriminations over issues like deportation policies and harassment of diplomats have intensified. Algeria has refused to accept deported nationals from France, who, in turn, accuse Algiers of disregarding legal protocols.

The crisis took a darker turn in November 2023 with the arrest of Franco-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, 80, at Algiers Airport. Sansal, a cancer survivor critical of Algeria’s regime, was sentenced to five years for “undermining state security,” a move widely condemned as politically motivated. Prior to the expulsion, Paris had cautiously hoped for his humanitarian release, but such prospects now appear remote.

The rift is laden with historical baggage from France’s 132-year colonial rule and Algeria’s brutal war for independence. While Macron has sought to address colonial atrocities, including acknowledging France’s role in the 1961 Paris massacre of Algerian protesters, his overtures have been overshadowed by policy shifts favoring Morocco and domestic political pressures. For Algeria, balancing sovereignty with economic reliance on France (a key gas importer) remains a delicate act. 

With trust at a historic low, neither side appears poised to de-escalate. Algeria’s expulsion signals a hardening stance, while France’s fragmented domestic politics complicate coherent diplomacy. As Retailleau’s influence grows, Macron’s ability to steer a balanced approach weakens. For now, the Sansal case and expelled diplomats serve as grim markers of a relationship sliding deeper into confrontation, with reconciliation increasingly elusive.