Overview

• France has expelled 12 Algerian diplomatic and consular officials and recalled its ambassador from Algiers in a direct response to Algeria’s expulsion of 12 French diplomats.
• The diplomatic row stems from the arrest of three Algerian nationals in France, including a consular official, for alleged involvement in the 2024 abduction of TikTok influencer Amir Boukhors, a vocal critic of the Algerian government.
• Algeria has rejected the charges, calling the arrests a violation of diplomatic norms, while France has refused to extradite Boukhors, who was granted asylum in 2023.
• The dispute highlights historical tensions between the two nations, compounded by France’s 2024 endorsement of Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy plan, which Algeria opposes.
• Despite the escalating measures, both governments have signaled a desire to resume dialogue, though relations remain at a breaking point.