Watan-In a new move reflecting growing diplomatic tensions between the two countries, Algerian authorities announced the expulsion of two agents from France’s internal intelligence service (DGSI), after they entered the country under the guise of diplomatic passports, according to the state-run AL24 News channel.
Faïçal Mettaoui, a journalist at the channel and presidential adviser, said the two individuals belonged to the French Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI), under the supervision of Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. They were declared “persona non grata” for violating diplomatic protocol.
Mettaoui emphasized that entering a country with diplomatic passports requires prior notification to the host nation’s authorities, as stipulated by the Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements between Algeria and France. He accused Retailleau of orchestrating what he called an “unacceptable maneuver.”
Algeria
Algeria-France Tensions Deepen as Tit-for-Tat Expulsions Escalate Diplomatic Standoff
This incident follows Algeria’s mid-April decision to expel 12 French embassy staff members—also under Retailleau’s authority—within 48 hours, in retaliation for a French court’s imprisonment of an Algerian consular employee accused of abducting activist Amir Dz.
French media reported that the expelled individuals specialized in counterterrorism, criminal investigations, document fraud, and migration cases.
In response, the French presidency summoned its ambassador to Algeria for consultations—an unprecedented move since Algeria’s independence in 1962—and later expelled 12 members of Algeria’s consular and diplomatic network in France.
Retailleau is known for advocating a “hardline” approach toward Algeria, promoting a policy of “gradual retaliation,” which includes stripping Algerian diplomatic passport holders of visa-free entry, reducing visa quotas for Algerians, and sanctioning entities like Air Algérie.
Algeria-France relations
This stance has made him the target of harsh criticism in Algeria, with official rhetoric distinguishing between Retailleau’s hardline positions and more moderate voices in France.
According to French government spokesperson Sophie Prima, a diplomatic freeze continues to affect Algerian-French relations. She noted that further retaliatory measures are under consideration by France’s Prime Minister in coordination with the interior and foreign ministers.