The diplomatic discord between Algeria and France deepened Sunday after Algiers banned French military planes from its airspace, its latest response to a row over visas. #France #Algeria #diplomaticrow #France24

"Algeria won its independence from France in 1962 after a bloody military struggle. Since independence, the North African country's ruling elite has been largely drawn from veterans of its war of liberation from France. 

Protesters in the Hirak movement have been calling for political change in the gas-rich country, particularly with the clientelist system that has enriched Algeria’s elites. 

Last year, the Algerian government criminalized the dissemination of what it considers "false news" that harms national unity. 

Saturday's ambassador recall was the second time it had done so, having taken a similar response in May 2020 after French media broadcast a documentary about the Hirak movement. 

Algerian officials have cracked down on efforts to revive the pro-democracy protests, and rights groups say dozens of people linked to it have been jailed in recent months." Read more.