(MENAFN) On Saturday, Algeria revoked all special access cards previously issued to the French Embassy for entry to Algerian ports and airports, responding directly to what it calls limitations imposed on its diplomats operating in France.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement that it has “reclaimed all privileged access cards to the country's ports and airports that had been granted to the French Embassy in Algiers.”

This decision followed the ministry’s second summoning of the French chargé d’affaires on the same day, accusing France of a “blatant violation of international obligations” due to interference with the sending and receiving of diplomatic pouches.

According to the ministry, the French government’s obstruction initially targeted only the Algerian Embassy in Paris but has now expanded to affect Algeria’s consular offices across France. This development comes despite prior French Foreign Ministry assurances that these restrictive actions would be reconsidered.

This diplomatic conflict signals a sharp escalation in the ongoing and most serious strain between Algeria and France since Algeria’s 1962 independence.

Tensions peaked when both countries lowered their diplomatic engagement to chargé d’affaires level in July 2024, following France’s official support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara—a stance vehemently opposed by Algeria.

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