Algeria recalls ambassador to France for consultations

ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algeria has recalled its ambassador to France for consultations after what it called “irresponsible” comments attributed to French President Emmanuel Macron, Algeria’s presidency said on Saturday.

“Following comments that several sources attributed to … Macron, Algeria expresses its categorical rejection of inadmissible interference in its internal affairs,” the presidency said in a statement.

“Faced with the particularly inadmissible situation inflicted by these irresponsible remarks, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune decided to immediately recall the ambassador,” it said.

The statement said the remarks, which have not been denied by French authorities, are harmful to Algerian martyrs who fought for independence from France, without giving details.

“Those remarks are an intolerable attack on the memory of martyrs,” it said.

On Thursday, the government said it had summoned the French ambassador to Algiers after Paris decided to slash the number of visas it issues to nationals of Algeria and other countries in North African’s Maghreb region.

Algeria’s foreign ministry described the move, which France said was in response to Maghreb governments’ refusal to take back illegal migrants sent home by Paris, as a “unilateral decision of the French government”.

(This story corrects to show in para 4 that remarks have not been denied.)

(Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed; Editing by Catherine Evans and Daniel Wallis)