Rabat – Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the charge d’affaires of the French embassy in Algiers on Saturday.
The decision came after a documentary aired on France 2. For Algeria, the TV program is allegedly offensive to the country and its national symbols.
The program, “Complement d’enquete, has accused Algeria’s regime of orchestrating an attempted kidnapping of an Algerian blogger in France. Algeria classifies the blogger as a terrorist, according to Al Jazeera.
French news outlet Le Monde attributed Algiers’ anger over remarks made by French ambassador to Algeria, Stephane Romatert, who discussed his country’s decision to support Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the only political framework to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
The French news outlet said the ambassador recalled that France’s newfound decision on the Sahara was followed by Algeria’s recall of its ambassador to Paris.
Algeria hosts, finances, arm and supports Polisario, a separatist group claiming independence in Western Sahara.
The Algerian regime, which challenges Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces, has repeatedly issued strong condemnations whenever any country joins the more than 120 states that view the Autonomy Plan as the only—or most feasible political solution to resolve the Western Sahara dispute.
The diplomatic crisis has been marked by heightened tensions and backlash between Paris and Algiers, which escalated further after France decided to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in July 2024.
On Saturday, the Algerian ministry said the new documentary is a “clear attack on the Algerian state, its institutions, and its symbols.”
The ministry also accused the French embassy in Algiers and the French ambassador of being personally involved in the “offensive media campaign.”
For Algiers, the channel’s actions are a new stage in the escalation of “hostile practices against Aleria.”
This latest tension marks a new episode of France-Algeria ties, which have been strained for years.
France has repeatedly condemned the arrest of critics in Algeria, including Boualem Sansal, who was recently released after months of detention.
