Algeria and France have reconciled following the recall of the Algerian ambassador provoked by the Amira Bouraoui affair. According to the independent newspaper El-Watan, « the end of the dispute » was announced by the French and Algerian presidents during a phone conversation on 24 March.
During their conversation, the two leaders were able to « clear up misunderstandings » surrounding the exfiltration of the Franco-Algerian militant by French consular authorities in Tunisia on 6 February. A statement from the Elysée called the incident a regrettable misunderstanding.
The phone call between the presidents opens the door to a return to normal bilateral relations. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune informed his French counterpart that the Algerian ambassador to France, Mohamed Antar Daoud, would soon return to Paris. Tebboune is expected to visit France in May for a State visit.
According to the Algerian news site TSA, « continuing the dispute a little over a month before this trip would have meant its cancellation or postponement, which would have had serious consequences for the bilateral relationship in the long term ».
This recent diplomatic breakthrough follows a crisis that occurred in the fall of 2021 when the Algerian ambassador was recalled for three months due to controversial remarks made by the French president regarding the history of Algeria and its leaders. TSA notes that « only the special relationship between France and Algeria is capable of this game of yo-yo, alternating between the best and the worst ».
Despite this reconciliation, disagreements remain between the two countries. Issues such as Algerians facing an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) remain contentious. In response to the Bouraoui affair, Algeria had slowed down the issuance of consular passes necessary for repatriation.
Despite tensions between France and Algeria which have persisted over time, the state-owned French-language newspaper L’Expression considers that « of all the French heads of state who have succeeded one another, Emmanuel Macron is the one who has challenged reticence and unspoken words the most », despite his multiple controversial statements on the issue of memory.