Algeria to exclude 12 officials from the French embassy

Algeria asked 12 staff of the French embassy to leave the country for 48 hours, French Foreign Minister said.

Jean-Nael Boro added that he was linked to the accusation of three Algerians on Friday, one of which is a consular official.

They are accused of participating in the abduction last year, 41, Air Bukhors, a criticism of the Algerian government with a large audience on social media, which was reportedly provided asylum in France in 2023.

Baro called on Algeria to “refuse” the expulsion and said that France was ready to “answer” when they went ahead.

Boukhors, also known as Amir D, has lived in France since 2016 and has reportedly received political asylum in 2023.

He was abducted in April 2024 in the southern suburbs of Paris and released the next day, his lawyer Eric Pluvier reports.

Plusier said AFP that Bukhors was “the subject of two serious attacks, one in 2022 and the other on the evening of April 29, 2024”.

French media reported that he had been forced into a car with a “fake police officer” and then came out the next day without explanation.

Algeria issued nine international arrest warrants against him, accusing him of fraud and ties with terrorist organizations. “

He denies allegations. In 2022, the French courts refused extradition.

The case is the latest in greater number of incidents that have deteriorated the gap between France and Algeria.

These include arrest and imprisonment in Algeria French-Alzhir Boualem Sensalwhich was accused of undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity.

Algeria reminded of his ambassador from Paris last year after France supported Morocco requirement to the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

12 French officials were asked to leave Monday, including some members of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs, AFP’s diplomatic source said.

On Monday, Baro said, “I ask the authorities of Algeria to abandon these measures about the exception … If the decision to send back our officials is stored, we will have no other way out, as I immediately answer.”

Boro claimed that on Friday in Paris – the expulsions were the response to the accusation of three Algerian citizens in Paris – including a consular official – on charges, including abduction, arbitrary detention and illegal imprisonment and participation in a terrorist organization.

Algeria’s Foreign Ministry said France’s Ambassador Stefan Ramate in response to “expressing his strong protest” and called for an immediate release of the official, according to Algeria’s official agency.

It adds that the man “was arrested in public and then taken into custody without notice through diplomatic channels.”

The ministry claimed that the move “was not accidental, as this happens in a very specific context in order to start the process of restoring bilateral relations.”

Oriental steps were made to repair relations between the two countries with a phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and President Abdelmadzhid Tebbun in March.

“Both presidents had a long, sincere and friendly exchange for the state of bilateral relations and tensions that have been born in recent months,” the joint statement said.

After the official visit to Algeria on April 6, where he met with the Tebbun, Baro said he hoped for a “new phase” in the relationship.