Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 12, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleFrance plans a strong response to Algeria's expulsion of 15 officials, escalating diplomatic tensions. The move follows a series of tit-for-tat expulsions.
PARIS (Reuters) - France will respond to Algeria's "unjustified" decision to expel 15 French officials, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday, as relations between the countries worsened further.
France's ties with its former colony have long been complicated, but took a turn for the worse last year when President Emmanuel Macron angered Algeria by backing Morocco's position over the disputed Western Sahara region.
There had been a short-lived thaw in tensions last month after Barrot visited Algiers, but a week later tit for tat diplomatic expulsions once again strained ties.
Algeria's press agency APS reported on Monday that France's charge d'affaires had been informed that 15 French diplomatic agents were in irregular positions and would be expelled.
"The departure of agents on temporary missions is unjustified and as I did last month, we will respond immediately and in a strong and proportionate manner," Barrot told reporters in Normandy.
France in mid-April recalled its ambassador to Algiers for consultations and expelled 12 agents serving in the Algerian consular and diplomatic network in France after Algiers had expelled 12 French diplomatic staff.
A poor relationship has major security, economic and social repercussions. Trade is extensive and around 10% of France's 68 million population has links to Algeria, according to French officials.
"This is a decision that I regret because it is not in the interests of Algeria, nor in the interests of France," Barrot said, declining to give further details on the response from Paris.
(Reporting by John Irish, editing by Ed Osmond)
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the expulsion of 15 French officials as 'unjustified' and stated that France would respond immediately and strongly.
The relationship has worsened, particularly after President Macron's support for Morocco, leading to a series of diplomatic expulsions between the two countries.
The poor relationship could have significant security, economic, and social repercussions, especially given the extensive trade and connections between the two nations.
In mid-April, France recalled its ambassador to Algiers and expelled 12 Algerian agents from its consular and diplomatic network in France.
Barrot expressed regret over the decision, stating it was not in the interests of either Algeria or France.
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