Newsletters
France will return its ambassador to Algeria and send a senior envoy to ceremonies marking a colonial-era massacre in its former colony, the French presidency said Friday, in a move aimed at easing strained relations between the two countries.
Ties between Paris and Algiers have deteriorated since 2024, when France formally backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, where Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front.
French Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces Alice Rufo will attend ceremonies in Algeria on Friday commemorating the 1945 crackdown by French colonial forces on pro-democracy demonstrators, the Elysee Palace said in a statement.
She will be accompanied by Ambassador Stephane Romatet, who will resume his duties more than a year after being recalled from the post.
The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said the move reflects Macron’s determination to address relations with Algeria “with honesty” while respecting the historical memories shared by both countries.
The initiative is also intended “to restore an effective dialogue,” the Elysee said.
The 1945 massacres, particularly in the Algerian towns of Setif and Guelma, remain a deeply sensitive issue in relations between France and Algeria and are widely viewed as a turning point leading toward Algeria’s war of independence.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
