France Expels 12 Algerian Officials in Tit-for-Tat Move amid Diplomatic Tensions

Algerian flags fly at half-staff along the seaside walk in Algiers, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (AP)
Algerian flags fly at half-staff along the seaside walk in Algiers, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (AP)
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France Expels 12 Algerian Officials in Tit-for-Tat Move amid Diplomatic Tensions

Algerian flags fly at half-staff along the seaside walk in Algiers, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (AP)
Algerian flags fly at half-staff along the seaside walk in Algiers, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (AP)

France said Tuesday it was expelling 12 Algerian diplomatic officials a day after Algeria announced the expulsion of the same number of French officials in escalating tensions between the two countries.

Algeria said Monday that its expulsion of 12 French officials was over the arrest of an Algerian consular official by French authorities in a kidnapping case, but relations between the two sides have been deteriorating since last summer. That's when France shifted its position to support Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara — a disputed territory claimed by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which receives support from Algeria.

Tensions further peaked in November after Algeria arrested French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is an outspoken critic of the Algerian regime. He has since been sentenced to five years in prison — a verdict he subsequently appealed.

In addition to what French officials called the "symmetrically" calibrated expulsion of 12 Algerian officials, France's ambassador to Algiers also was being recalled home for consultations, a statement from the French presidential palace said Tuesday.

It said Algerian authorities were responsible for "a brutal deterioration in our bilateral relations."

French counterterrorism prosecutors said three Algerian nationals in total were arrested last week and handed preliminary charges of "kidnapping or arbitrary detention … in connection with a terrorist undertaking."

The group is allegedly involved in the April 2024 kidnapping of an Algerian influencer, Amir Boukhors, or Amir DZ, a known critic of the Algerian government with 1.1 million followers on TikTok.

The latest surge in acrimony followed a brief easing of tensions about two weeks ago when French President Emmanuel Macron called Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune. French officials said they had agreed to revive bilateral relations.



Saudi Arabia: Regional Peace Starts with Recognizing State of Palestine

Manal Radwan and Anne-Claire Legendre attend the New York meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Manal Radwan and Anne-Claire Legendre attend the New York meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Saudi Arabia: Regional Peace Starts with Recognizing State of Palestine

Manal Radwan and Anne-Claire Legendre attend the New York meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Manal Radwan and Anne-Claire Legendre attend the New York meeting (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Saudi Arabia called on the international community to treat the recognition of a Palestinian state not as a symbolic move but as a strategic necessity for achieving lasting regional peace and stability.
Speaking at a high-level preparatory meeting for the upcoming international conference on resolving the Palestinian issue, Saudi representative Manal Radwan emphasized that regional peace begins with the recognition of Palestine. The conference, jointly organized by Saudi Arabia and France, will be held at the United Nations in June.
Radwan noted that establishing a Palestinian state is essential to ending a conflict that has lasted nearly eight decades. “This is not just about ending a war, it’s about ending a long-standing struggle,” she said. “The time has come for irreversible and transformative change.”

She stressed the urgent need for concrete action, especially as Gaza continues to suffer under a deepening humanitarian crisis. “Civilians are bearing the brunt of a war that must end immediately,” she said, raising concerns about growing violence in the West Bank and the region-wide impact of continued instability.
Radwan emphasized that a fair resolution to the Palestinian issue is more than a legal or moral duty, it is the foundation for a new regional order based on coexistence and mutual recognition. “Recognition of a Palestinian state is the only way to replace despair with a political horizon grounded in rights and sovereignty,” she said.
She also welcomed reform efforts by Palestinian leaders, including institutional changes initiated by President Mahmoud Abbas and the new government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, aimed at promoting transparency and economic recovery.
Radwan also introduced the Global Coalition to Implement the Two-State Solution, launched by Saudi Arabia to coordinate political, financial, and security support for the initiative. She urged the coalition to function as a mechanism for real implementation, not just consensus-building.
France, represented by Macron’s advisor Anne-Claire Legendre, echoed the urgency, warning that the two-state solution is more endangered than ever. “This conference must be a turning point, a shift from words to meaningful action,” she said.