French ambassador returns to Algeria, signaling a potential thaw in relations
via SeneNews3 min read
France's ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, returned to the country on Friday, one year after being recalled during a diplomatic crisis between Paris and Algiers. His return coincided with a ministerial visit aimed at restoring effective dialogue between the two nations. French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces and Veterans, Alice Rufo, and Ambassador Romatet began their trip in Sétif, a city that, along with Guelma and Kherrata, was the site of a bloody repression of independence demonstrations by the French army starting May 8, 1945. Algerian sources claim 45,000 deaths, while French sources cite between 1,500 and 20,000 deaths. Ms. Rufo and her Algerian counterpart, Abdelmalek Tachrift, laid wreaths at a memorial for Bouzid Saâl, whose death sparked riots. Ms. Rufo stated the importance of looking at history truthfully and respecting all memories of Algeria and the Algerian War. Historian Benjamin Stora, part of the French delegation, noted that May 8 is a significant date for Algerian nationalism. Algerians expressed a desire for France to acknowledge its responsibility for the massacres, while others hoped for reconciliation. Ms. Rufo then traveled to Algiers for meetings with Algerian authorities to discuss consolidating Franco-Algerian relations. This visit marks the second by a French government official in under three months, following Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's visit in mid-February. A diplomatic source described it as a "re-engagement" after a cri
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
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