Algeria recalls its ambassador to France, accuses it of genocide

Algeria has accused its former colonial ruler France of genocide and announced the recall of its ambassador from Paris in anger over what it said were inadmissible comments attributed to French President Emmanuel Macron.

The sharp escalation in tensions also follows a French decision to slash the number of visas issued to people in North Africa including Algeria because governments there are refusing to take back migrants expelled from France.

The immediate recall of Algeria’s ambassador from France for consultations was announced Saturday evening in a statement from the Algerian presidency.

The statement said the recall was motivated by recent comments about Algeria that were attributed to Macron.

The comments amounted to inadmissible interference in Algeria’s affairs and were “an intolerable affront to Algerians who died fighting French colonialism, the Algerian presidency said.

The crimes of colonial France in Algeria are innumerable and fit the strictest definitions of genocide, its statement alleged.

French media reported that Macron made recent comments about Algerias post-colonial system of government and its attitudes to France.

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