Security cooperation strengthens dialogue between Algeria and France without closing the chapter on disputes

---

The French Interior Minister discussed contentious and bilateral issues in Algeria through expanded security cooperation, without any announced intention or direction toward fully restoring relations or reinstating ambassadors.

Algeria and France have agreed to reactivate a high-level security cooperation mechanism in the fields of justice, policing, and intelligence as a preliminary step toward normalizing relations. However, observers believe that ties between Paris and Algiers remain in a cautious exploratory phase due to several unresolved contentious issues.

• Diplomatic Crisis between France and Algeria: Who Are the 12 Expelled?

• France and Algeria Closer Than Ever to Diplomatic Break

This was stated by French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez during a press briefing at the Algerian presidency following his meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Tuesday marked the second and final day of Nuñez’s visit to Algeria, the first by a French official since the visit of Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on April 6, 2025.

Five days after Barrot’s visit, relations suffered a significant setback when French authorities arrested an Algerian diplomat on suspicion of involvement in an abduction, an allegation denied by Algiers.

• France tightens visa requirements for Tunisian, Moroccan and Algerian citizens

• Mali accuses Algeria of supporting “international terrorism”: diplomatic showdown at the UN

“After intensive work throughout Monday with my counterpart, the Minister of the Interior, Local Authorities and Urban Planning, Saïd Sayoud, and alongside all Algerian and French security officials, we worked on establishing and reactivating a high-level security cooperation mechanism,” Nuñez said.

He explained that reactivating the mechanism aims to “restore normal security relations,” adding, “As Interior Minister, I highly value this step.”

Nuñez thanked his Algerian counterpart, stating that he “brought us together and created the conditions to work in this direction.”

• Mali Takes Algeria to the International Court of Justice Over Drone Incident

• Rising tensions between authorities and unions raise fears of a social explosion in Algeria

He also expressed gratitude to President Tebboune, “who received me and confirmed his instructions to Algerian security services to work with their French counterparts to achieve tangible improvements in our cooperation.”

He revealed that the security cooperation mechanism covers “judicial and police aspects, as well as intelligence cooperation and the issue of readmission (the deportation of migrants).”

The deportation file remains one of the most contentious issues. Paris seeks Algeria’s cooperation in issuing consular travel documents for its nationals in irregular situations who are subject to removal orders from France. The Algerian community is the largest Arab diaspora in France.

• Algeria in Trouble After Being Placed on the Blacklist

•  Algerian move to disrupt the Morocco-Mauritania rapprochement

Nuñez announced that all agreed measures “will enter into force as soon as possible” and confirmed that both sides will continue cooperation in the fields of “security and migration at a very high level.”

He was accompanied by several officials, including Director of Internal Security Céline Berthon and representatives of the police and gendarmerie. French Ambassador to Algeria Stéphane Romatet did not attend the visit.

Two weeks earlier, Algeria had declared Romatet persona non grata following his participation in a documentary broadcast by France 2, which Algeria described as “offensive to state symbols and filled with unjustified inaccuracies.”

• EU Deepens Algeria’s Troubles by Placing It on Blacklist

• Moroccan Diplomatic Expulsion Reveals Algeria’s Discontent with Rabat’s Successes

The French minister’s visit comes after a surprising shift from a hardline stance he had announced in early February.

At that time, Nuñez had linked his visit to two key conditions: Algeria’s issuance of consular permits for deported migrants and the resolution of the case of French journalist Christophe Gleizes, who was sentenced in Algeria to seven years in prison for “glorifying terrorism.”

However, within days, he altered his position, announcing he would visit Algeria at the invitation of his counterpart, without either condition being met.

• Moroccan Campaign to Protect Architectural Heritage from Algerian Appropriation

• Legislative Initiative to Eliminate the French Version of the Official Gazette in Algeria

In a media interview, President Tebboune commented on the French minister’s conditions, stating that “those statements concern him alone,” adding, “If he wishes to come, he is welcome.”

Since his appointment in October as successor to Bruno Retailleau, Nuñez has adopted an approach based on dialogue and engagement with Algeria, arguing that the strategy of “iron-fisted measures and gradual escalation” pursued by his predecessor for years had yielded no results.

Both countries have made the resumption of security dialogue a top priority, as a prelude to restoring normal relations that were severely damaged after France changed its position in the summer of 2024 on the Sahara issue, endorsing Morocco’s autonomy initiative and Rabat’s sovereignty over the territory.

• Signs of Tension between Turkey and Algeria Over Participation of ‘Separatist’ Kurds in a Tindouf Conference

• Morocco’s Strong Position Pushes Algeria to Avoid Raising the Sahara Issue at the UN Security Council

Following that shift, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Paris. France subsequently recalled its ambassador from Algiers in April after Algeria expelled 15 French consular staff following the arrest of one of its diplomats in France.

According to observers, the agreement reached during Nuñez’s visit to reactivate the high-level security cooperation mechanism does not necessarily signify a full normalization of bilateral relations.

The outcome suggests that both countries have chosen to address contentious and bilateral issues through expanded security cooperation, without announcing any intention to fully restore relations or return ambassadors.

• “The Snare of the Trap” Documents Algeria’s Cross-Border Violations

• Algeria Offers Aid in Exchange for Closing the Case of Defective Fuel

This contrasts with Barrot’s April 2025 visit, which had culminated in an announcement of a full resumption of relations before they deteriorated again within days after Paris detained the Algerian diplomat.

The results of Nuñez’s visit indicate that any improvement in relations will depend on the effectiveness of judicial, police, and intelligence cooperation.

Paris continues to raise the case of journalist Gleizes and the deportation of irregular Algerian migrants. Meanwhile, Algeria repeatedly states that France refuses to respond to judicial requests concerning Algerian figures implicated in corruption cases and others sought by Algerian courts on charges including terrorism.

Relations between Algeria and France rarely improve for long before slipping back into tension, particularly over issues linked to the legacy of French colonial rule between 1830 and 1962, which Algeria argues Paris still refuses to address adequately despite the profound consequences it left behind.

• Algerian Interest in News of Mali’s Tuaregs Reflects Bias toward Separatists

• Algeria Blocks Census of Tindouf Residents for Fear of Exposing Polisario Corruption