Algeria calls France 2 report "act of state aggression"

Relations between Algeria and France risk deteriorating sharply following the broadcast of a France 2 television report critical of Algerian authorities and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, according to officials in Algiers.

Algerian representatives described the programme as an “act of state aggression” and deliberate disinformation, TASS reported, citing an analytical study by the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN).

Kamel Mansari, a GFCN expert and editor-in-chief of the Algerian publication Le Jeune Indépendant, said the two countries are “on the verge of a rupture.” According to him, Algeria is demanding to be treated with respect as a sovereign state, free from pressure and intimidation, but instead sees what he described as “escalation from Paris.”

Algeria’s Foreign Ministry reacted immediately to the broadcast, calling it a “web of lies” and summoning France’s chargé d’affaires in Algiers.

According to the GFCN analysis, a potential breakdown in relations could have significant consequences for France, including diminished influence over developments in North Africa and the Sahel. The report warns that tensions could affect cooperation on Algerian gas supplies to Europe, counterterrorism efforts, and migration management.

By Vugar Khalilov