Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday demanded “total respect” from France as a condition for the return of his country’s ambassador to France, reported Reuters.
The diplomatic row between the two countries began after France cut the number of visas it issues for citizens of Algeria and other North African countries. It was announced that Algerian and Moroccan visas would be slashed to half and Tunisian visas will be reduced by 30%.
The issue escalated further after French President Emmanuel Macron passed some controversial comments on Algeria’s history. He said the descendants of Algeria’s 1954-1962 war of independence that Algeria was ruled by a “political-military system” that had “totally re-written” its history that was based not on truth, but on hatred of France.
Macron said the Hirak movement, which ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power, has weakened the Algerian system. The French president also spoke about the current politics of Algeria. He said Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune was trapped in a tough political system. He described Tebboune as being trapped in a system that is very tough.
Last week, Algiers recalled its ambassador from Paris in anger over macron’s “inadmissible” comments, and the following day the French army said that the Algerian government had banned French military planes from flying over its territory.
The return of the Algerian ambassador to France is conditional on the “total respect for the Algerian state,” Tebboune told local media on Sunday. “We forget that it [Algeria] was once a French colony … History should not be falsified.”
Tebboune said that Algeria can’t act as if nothing has happened.
On Tuesday, Macron said he hoped tensions with Algeria would ease.
“My wish is for a calming down because I think it’s better to talk and to make progress,” he told France Inter broadcaster.
He also said that relations with Tebboune were very cordial.
