French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met with his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra in Algiers on Wednesday hoping to restore normal diplomatic relations between France and Algeria. Ties between both countries soured after French President Emmanuel Macron made disparaging comments about Algeria under French colonial rule back in October.
In a joint press conference with Lamamra, Le Drian said that Algeria is an “essential partner for France” and stressed that both countries should return to a “path of a peaceful relationship and look to the future.”
“We hope that the dialogue that we have relaunched today can lead to a resumption of political exchanges between our governments, going beyond the wounds of the past, which we must face, and misunderstandings, which we must overcome,” Le Drian added.
Furthermore, he said that it is necessary that both sides go “beyond the wounds of the past” and “work on removing the obstacles and misunderstandings that may exist between our two countries.” Both sides also agreed to launch a bilateral dialogue that would “lead to a resumption of political exchanges between our governments in 2022.” The envoys also talked about increasing coordination regarding Libya’s political transition, the situation in Mali, and countering extremism in the Sahel region at large.
In October, Macron stirred up controversy when he questioned the existence of an Algerian nation before French colonisation. “The building of Algeria as a nation is a phenomenon worth watching. Was there an Algerian nation before French colonisation? That is the question,” he rhetorically asked.
He had also argued that Algeria’s ruling system had “rewritten history” to portray France in a bad light and foment anti-French hatred. Macron noted that France was not the only coloniser of Algeria, adding that Turkey, too, had colonized the country, accusing Algeria of changing history to show France as the “only colonisers.”
Macron’s remarks sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries, with Algeria calling his comments “unacceptable” and an “insult to the memory” of millions of Algerians who sacrificed their lives fighting French colonialists. Algeria also recalled its ambassador to France and barred French military planes from using its airspace, which is used by France to conduct operations in West Africa.
In fact, ties between the two countries had begun to fray even before Macron’s comments. In September, Paris reduced the number of visas issued to Algerian citizens, as the government refused to take back illegal immigrants deported from France.
However, Macron has tried to calm tensions between the two nations, especially as France sees Algeria as a gateway to its operations in West Africa and as a crucial partner in bringing stability to war-torn Libya. The French President has already pushed for greater transparency regarding France’s past with Algeria and in this respect, has called for a “truth commission” to report on the Algerian war of independence against France.