Unbelievable: Tebboune Demands Silence from Driencourt in Exchange for Sansal’s Release
According to Libération (May 16 edition), Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune demanded—in front of stunned French officials—that the French Foreign Ministry silence former French ambassador to Algiers, Xavier Driencourt.
The diplomatic exchange was described as “a staggering scene,” during which “French diplomats were left speechless, shocked by the sheer bluntness of the Algerian regime’s demands.”
Driencourt has been in the Algerian regime’s crosshairs since the 2022 publication of his book L’Énigme algérienne, in which he accused Algiers of maintaining a state of “permanent blackmail” against France.
The release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal—sentenced on March 20 to five years in prison—was reportedly imminent in early April, according to Libération. His lawyer, François Zimeray, revealed that a presidential pardon hinged on the writer withdrawing his appeal. Sansal, however, maintained his appeal on April 2—likely because he never received the message, which had been relayed via his wife and through French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot during his April 7 trip to Algiers.
On April 2, a planned release was abruptly canceled. As Barlamane reports, Sansal had signed documents renouncing his Algerian nationality as part of a negotiated exit deal. He arrived at the airport in Algiers with a boarding pass to Paris in hand—but was intercepted on the tarmac, detained, and returned to the prison-hospital in Blida. French officials, believing the agreement had gone through, were blindsided. The move was seen in Paris as a breach of diplomatic trust by the Algerian regime.
Despite diplomatic thaw signals in late March, multiple sources confirm that Sansal’s release is being actively blocked by a faction within Algeria’s security apparatus. This group—deeply suspicious of dual nationals and openly critical figures—opposes any resolution that could allow Sansal to exit with dignity.
Observers familiar with the case say the goal isn’t just to silence Sansal, but to permanently disgrace him. The regime reportedly aims to strip him of his Algerian nationality, secure a final, unappealable conviction, and craft an official narrative of betrayal—one in which Sansal is cast as a traitor to his homeland.
Within this framework, the arrest, sham trial, and the failed April 2 release weren’t diplomatic missteps. They were deliberate moves. The regime isn’t looking to expel him—it wants to erase him.
This internal power struggle explains the mixed messages coming from Algiers: apparent gestures of goodwill from the presidency clashing with last-minute sabotage by other power centers.
Abderrahmane Fares ✍️
