In a new development in the diplomatic tension between France and Algeria, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has responded to Algerian accusations regarding the involvement of French intelligence in attempts to destabilize Algeria, describing them as “unfounded and fanciful accusations.”
Barrot confirmed in statements to France Inter radio that he is in contact with the French ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, who was summoned by the Algerian authorities, expressing his regret for this summons. The French minister added that he assured the ambassador of his support, referring to the roadmap signed by Presidents Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Emmanuel Macron in 2022, which aims to strengthen future relations between the two countries.
Algerian newspapers had reported the summoning of the French ambassador, with the government newspaper El Moudjahid stating that the Algerian authorities expressed their “strong disapproval of the numerous French provocations and hostile acts towards Algeria.” The Algerian newspaper El Chorouk indicated that the Algerian side accused the French Directorate General for External Security (DGSE) of carrying out “aggressive operations and maneuvers targeting institutions of the Algerian Republic with the clear aim of destabilizing and seriously harming our country.”
These developments come in the wake of Algerian national television and AL24 News channel broadcasting a documentary claiming that a “Machiavellian plan” had been “brilliantly foiled by Algerian security services.” The French embassy was also accused of organizing meetings with individuals “known for their declared and permanent hostility towards Algerian institutions.”
This diplomatic escalation comes at a time when French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has been in prison in Algeria for nearly a month, further intensifying tensions between the two countries. The scene remains open to possibilities of escalation or de-escalation in French-Algerian relations in the coming days.