France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez began a two-day visit to Algeria on Monday, signaling a renewed push to restore security and intelligence cooperation after months of strained relations. The trip is widely seen as the first concrete step toward easing tensions that escalated in 2024 after France formally recognised Western Sahara as part of Morocco, a move strongly opposed by Algiers. Relations were further complicated by a series of sensitive cases, including the imprisonment of French journalist Christophe Gleizes in Algeria, the abduction of an Algerian social media influencer near Paris, and the prosecution in France of an Algerian consular official. In response, Algeria expelled 12 French embassy staff last year.
Despite the tensions, both sides have recently signalled a willingness to de-escalate. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has said Algeria is prepared to cooperate on the repatriation of its nationals, while Paris has emphasised dialogue as the preferred path forward. During his visit, Nuñez is expected to hold talks with senior Algerian officials on intelligence sharing, counterterrorism efforts, the fight against drug trafficking, extradition requests, and the return of Algerian nationals living irregularly in France. Officials on both sides say progress on security cooperation could help stabilize broader diplomatic relations between the former colonial power and its key North African partner.
