A visit to Algiers by French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez marks a cautious attempt by Paris and Algiers to reset ties, with key disputes still hanging over the relationship.
Nuñez is in Algeria Monday and Tuesday to discuss security, migration and the case of jailed French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, in a visit seen as a step toward easing tensions between Paris and Algiers.
The visit comes as cooperation between the two countries is at a low point following months of strained relations.
Nuñez and his Algerian counterpart Saïd Sayoud spoke by phone on Thursday afternoon to prepare the trip. A few days earlier, the interior minister said he had received an invitation from Sayoud for an official visit.
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Discussions will reportedly focus on “security issues, the fight against terrorism and against drug trafficking.”
Nuñez is also expected to address intelligence cooperation in counter-terrorism matters, as well as extradition requests filed by Algeria.
Earlier in this month, Nuñez said he was waiting for an answer from Algiers in response to Paris’s requests regarding the repatriation of Algerian nationals illegally residing in France and the case of detained French journalist Christophe Gleizes.
Gleizes, arrested in May 2024 while reporting on Algeria’s most successful football club, JS Kabylie, was sentenced to seven years in prison for “glorifying terrorism".
Former French minister Ségolène Royal recently visited Algeria, where she was received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and obtained permission to visit Gleizes. She called for the “reconstruction of the friendship between France and Algeria.”
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A fragile thaw
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply since France recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed territory sought by Algeria, back in July 2024.
Earlier that year, the abduction of an Algerian influencer critical of President Tebboune near Paris led to the expulsion of 12 Algerian officials from France and escalated tensions between the two nations.
Former interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, also fuelled tensions by taking a hard line, publicly criticizing the detention of Algeria-born writer Boualem Sansal, who was incarcerated for nearly a year over statements about his country of birth.
The award-winning author received French citizenship in 2024 and was released from prison in November 2025. He currently resides in France.
Sansal has since stated that Algerian authorities have "stripped him of his Algerian nationality", but Algiers has yet to confirm that claim.
The last visit by a French interior minister to Algeria was in late 2022, when incumbent justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, travelled to the country.
(with newswires)
