The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the French Chargé d’affaires in Algiers on Saturday to express strong condemnation over a controversial broadcast on French public television.
According to a statement released by the Ministry, the summons was prompted by the airing of what Algeria considers a “fabrication presented falsely as a documentary” on the French public channel, France 2. The Ministry described the broadcast as “a web of lies and slander containing profound insults and unwarranted provocations.”
During the meeting, the Algerian government highlighted several critical points to the French diplomat. Firstly, Algeria emphasized the grave responsibility of a French public service channel in what it views as a blatant attack on the Algerian state, its institutions, and its symbols. The Ministry asserted that such an attack could not have occurred without the complicity or, at the very least, the approval of the relevant French public authorities overseeing the channel.
Secondly, Algeria raised concerns regarding the alleged involvement of the French Embassy in Algiers, and the Ambassador personally, in promoting what it described as a harmful campaign led by the public channel. This involvement, according to the Algerian government, reinforces the perception that the campaign has been endorsed by official French entities, going against diplomatic norms.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs further stated that the French channel’s actions represent a new escalation in hostile practices against Algeria. It alleges that these practices are orchestrated by official French circles with the aim of perpetuating a state of constant tension in Algerian-French relations.
The Algerian government strongly condemned the program in question, denouncing its unacceptable accusations and insults against the Algerian state and its institutions. It also expressed its firm rejection of the French Ambassador’s alleged involvement in actions that clearly contradict the proper exercise of his duties, as defined by laws and established international norms.
The French diplomat was informed that the Algerian government reserves the right to take all necessary measures warranted by the gravity of these actions, the statement concluded.
