France returns ambassador to Algeria in further sign of thawing relations
French Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces Alice Rufo will attend ceremonies in Algeria on Friday to mark the 1945 Sétif massacre, in which French troops violently repressed pro-democracy protestors.
She will be accompanied by ambassador Stéphane Romatet, who will resume his duties, more than a year after being recalled from his post, the Elysée said in a statement on Friday.
Romatet was recalled in April 2025 following Algeria's expulsion of 12 French diplomats, amid escalating tensions triggered by Paris's backing of Moroccan sovereignty of Western Sahara.
Sending the envoy back to Algiers "reflects the president of the Republic's determination to address relations between France and Algeria with honesty, while respecting all the memories connected to them" and "to restore effective dialogue", the Elysée said.
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Gleizes a priority
According to the statement, the return of Christophe Gleizes – the 36-year-old French sports journalist currently imprisoned in Algeria – will be at the heart of this renewed dialogue.
Gleizes was arrested in May 2024 while reporting in the Kabylie region and was later sentenced on appeal in December to seven years in prison on charges of “glorifying terrorism” – allegations his supporters strongly contest.
Earlier this week, Gleizes' family announced he had withdrawn his appeal to Algeria's highest court, in a move they hope will open the door to a presidential pardon – and, ultimately, his release.
Ties between France and Algeria have been fraught since 2024, when Paris officially backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, where Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front.
But there have been signs of a thaw in recent months. In February, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez met Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers – the first high-level ministerial visit since April 2025.
Following the talks, which both sides described as cordial and constructive, Paris and Algiers agreed to reactivate high-level security cooperation on judicial affairs, policing, intelligence, migration, counter-terrorism and readmissions.