The unprecedented diplomatic pouch dispute between Algeria and France shows no sign of easing, after Algiers rejected a temporary procedure proposed by Paris to restore their circulation.
The refusal extends a complete blockade in place for several weeks, underscoring a deepening deterioration in bilateral relations.
The row erupted in late July when France’s Interior Ministry, led by Bruno Retailleau, imposed restrictions on Algerian consular staff’s access to secure airport areas, preventing them from handling sealed diplomatic pouches, which are normally exempt from inspection. Algiers responded reciprocally, halting all pouch deliveries to France.
A note verbale sent by Paris on August 7 suggested a transitional arrangement for retrieval in secure zones, aimed at avoiding a prolonged paralysis of administrative exchanges.
But Algiers flatly refused, citing “at least six reasons,” including breaches of sovereignty and non-compliance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Behind the protocol standoff, diplomats fear a spillover effect on other already fragile areas of cooperation: visa issuance, circulation of technical personnel, and the organisation of bilateral events. Business circles point out that diplomatic pouches do not only carry documents but also technical equipment, sometimes essential to missions on the ground.
Algiers’ choice to harden its stance rather than pursue pragmatic negotiations feeds into perceptions of a government quick to multiply diplomatic incidents, at the risk of further isolation.
Observers note that no formal mediation is underway and communication channels remain limited, reinforcing the sense of a protracted impasse.
For many analysts, the episode reflects a foreign policy that is often more reactive than anticipatory, struggling to separate technical issues from political posturing.
MK/sf/ac/lb/as/APA