France and Algeria on Tuesday agreed to revive security cooperation during a visit to Algiers by French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, offering a tentative sign of easing tensions between the two countries.
Following talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Nunez said both sides had decided to “reactivate a high-level security cooperation mechanism,” aimed at rebuilding coordination in judicial affairs, policing, and intelligence-sharing.
Relations between Paris and Algiers have been strained in recent years, particularly after France’s 2024 decision to officially support Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara — a position strongly opposed by Algeria, which backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.
Nunez said Monday’s discussions focused on “restoring normal security relations,” adding that cooperation would cover law enforcement, judicial coordination, and intelligence. He also thanked Tebboune for directing Algerian agencies to work with French authorities to “improve cooperation on readmissions,” a sensitive issue as Algeria has resisted taking back nationals living irregularly in France.
The renewed partnership is expected to be implemented “as quickly as possible” and maintained “at a very high level,” Nunez said.
Images released by Algerian officials showed senior security representatives from both countries participating in the meetings, including France’s domestic intelligence leadership and Algeria’s internal security chief.
The visit, made at the invitation of Interior Minister Said Sayoud, had been scheduled months earlier but faced repeated delays amid diplomatic frictions.
Prior to the trip, Nunez indicated he would address a range of security concerns, including drug trafficking and counterterrorism cooperation. Algeria remains a critical partner in regional security efforts, sharing borders with Niger and Mali, both of which continue to face extremist violence.
Nunez had also said he planned to raise the case of Christophe Gleizes, a French sports journalist serving a seven-year sentence in Algeria on charges of “glorifying terrorism.” It remains unclear whether the issue was discussed with Tebboune, whose pardon has been sought by the journalist’s family.
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