France's Rift with Algeria, Morocco Raises Concerns Over French Diplomacy
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Loading... - Baniti Emad
- 20 Feb 2023
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The politicians’ remarks suggest that Paris’ tensions with countries in North Africa reflect a crisis within France’s diplomacy.
A group of French politicians and academics have expressed concerns about growing tensions between France and countries in North Africa – particularly Morocco and Algeria.
French network TV5 Monde featured a series of remarks from politicians and academics, who expressed frustration about the recent diplomatic crisis with countries in Africa, stressing that this reflects issues within France’s diplomacy.
January 19 marked the termination of Morocco’s ambassador duties in France. The decision to end the envoy’s duties came amid a diplomatic crisis over controversial decisions from France, including its ambiguous position on the Western Sahara dispute and visa restrictions affecting Moroccan applicants.
Amid the crisis with Morocco, Algeria’s regime also announced its decision to recall its ambassador to the European country earlier this month.
Algeria’s decision comes as a protest to France’s consular support to French-Algerian activist Amira Bouraoui, who has experienced issues with the Algerian government.
The consular support helped the activist escape extradition from Tunisia to Algeria.
Speaking about the recent turmoil France is facing with both Algeria and Morocco, Historian and Professor at the University of Sorbonne Pierre Vermeren said that the situation reflects a “firm warning” against French diplomacy.
The President of the France-Morocco friendship group in the Senate, Christian Cambon, echoed the same frustration.
“We were emerging from an intense crisis linked to visa policy and we are starting upside down” due to an “initiative” from Macron’s party, Cambon said.
Anti-Morocco rhetoric
French and Moroccan political observers believed that France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna's visit to Morocco in December 2022 would end the diplomatic tension between the two countries. Read More…
