theglobalsun – Algeria has ordered 12 French officials to leave the country within 48 hours, marking a sharp escalation in a growing diplomatic dispute between the two nations. The latest move comes in response to France’s recent arrest of three Algerian nationals suspected of kidnapping a social media influencer and vocal critic of the Algerian government in Paris last year.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot publicly linked the expulsion order to the arrests and urged Algerian authorities to reverse their decision. He warned that France would take swift reciprocal action if Algeria proceeded with the expulsions.
According to a diplomatic source who spoke with AFP, some of the expelled officials were members of France’s Ministry of the Interior, a detail that highlights the political weight of Algeria’s response. The incident further strains already uneasy relations, as historical tensions, migration policy disagreements, and security concerns in North Africa continue to shape them.
Algeria Demands Extradition of Influencer as France Detains Three Over Paris Kidnapping
French prosecutors have indicted three Algerian nationals, including a consular official. They are suspected involvement in the kidnapping of Amir Boukhors. Popular social media influencer and vocal critic of the Algerian government. Authorities have placed the men in pre-trial detention and charged them with participating in a “terrorist” conspiracy.
Boukhors, known online as “Amir DZ,” has amassed over one million followers on TikTok, where he frequently posts anti-government content. Boukhors received asylum in France in 2023. In April last year. Kidnappers abducted him from a suburb of Paris and released him the next day, according to his lawyer. French authorities launched an investigation soon after.
Meanwhile, Algerian officials have continued pressing for his return, claiming Boukhors faces nine international arrest warrants. They accuse him of fraud and terrorism-related offenses and insist he must stand trial in Algeria. France has not confirmed whether it will honor the extradition demand.
Algeria’s Expulsion Threat Marks New Low in Diplomatic Ties With France
Algeria’s move to expel a dozen French officials risks unraveling recent diplomatic progress between the two nations. Just one week earlier, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had visited Algiers and declared that relations were returning to normal after months of political friction.
However, the latest standoff comes after France arrested three Algerians, including a consular official, linked to the 2023 kidnapping of Algerian dissident Amir Boukhors in Paris. Algeria has reacted strongly, demanding the release of its citizens and issuing the expulsion orders. France warned it would retaliate if the decision is not reversed.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated steadily over the past year. In July 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron sparked outrage in Algiers by backing Moroccan autonomy over Western Sahara. The relationship frayed further when an Algerian court sentenced French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal to five years in prison for allegedly threatening national unity, prompting Paris to protest.
If carried out, the expulsion would mark the first removal of French diplomats from Algeria since independence in 1962.
