With Franco-Algerian relations at an all-time low, can they get back on track?
The turbulent relationship between France and its former colony Algeria has hit an all-time low, with the two countries accusing one another of humiliation and wilfully inflaming tensions. RFI examines what’s behind the breakdown in relations, and how they could get back on track.
Algeria and France have a fraught history, marked by colonial rule and an eight-year war that led to Algerian independence in 1962.
Visiting Algeria in 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron said the two countries “have a complex, painful common past [that] has at times prevented us from looking at the future". Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described the visit as “promising” and “constructive”.
This visit marked one of the high points of the relationship in recent years, with Macron announcing the two governments would set up a joint committee of historians to study the archives of the colonial period.
But while long-established economic, security and cultural ties have allowed the two countries to weather many a storm, the last six months have seen major turbulence – which France's former foreign minister, and prime minister, Dominique de Villepin described as the “worst crisis between the two countries since the war”.
It began in July when France sided with Morocco over Algeria over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Outraged, Algeria withdrew its ambassador to France in protest.
The head of France's intelligence services recently made a discreet visit to Algiers, suggesting the permafrost may be thawing slightly.
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
Podcast: France Algeria fall out, land of dinosaurs, abortion rights
Algeria rejects France's accusation of 'escalation' in diplomatic row
Algeria's Tebboune refuses France visit in snub to former colonial ruler