Algiers: The Algerian Foreign Ministry has summoned the French charg© d'affaires in Algiers and ordered the immediate expulsion of 15 French embassy employees over "serious breaches" of diplomatic protocol.

According to Anadolu Agency, the state news agency APS reported that the ministry demanded the "immediate deportation of all French employees who were hired under conditions that violated established procedures." The agency highlighted that the decision was in response to "serious and repeated violations by the French side."

The violations cited include the appointment of diplomatic and consular staff "without prior notification or formal accreditation, in violation of international norms and bilateral agreements." Additionally, the Algerian authorities have faced obstacles from Paris, such as the repeated rejection of Algerian diplomatic passport holders into France.

Among those ordered to be deported were two individuals associated with the French Interior Ministry's Directorate of Internal Security. These individuals reportedly entered Algeria using "fake diplomatic passports."

The current diplomatic tensions follow a series of retaliatory actions. In early April, Algeria expelled 12 French embassy staff in response to the arrest of an Algerian consular employee in Paris. This arrest was linked to alleged involvement in the kidnapping of an Algerian opposition influencer. In retaliation, France expelled 12 Algerian diplomats and recalled its ambassador in Algiers.

These exchanges come after a brief improvement in relations marked by a phone call between Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and French President Emmanuel Macron in late March. This was followed by a visit to Algiers by French Minister of State for Europe Jean-Noel Barrot on April 6, where both parties pledged to resume bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Diplomatic relations between Algeria and France remain volatile, primarily due to unresolved historical issues from France's colonization of Algeria between 1830 and 1962.