French and Algerian religious leaders urge reconciliation amid diplomatic tensions
Joint appeal calls for fraternity between the governments as strained ties impact citizens on both sides
PARIS, France (MNTV) — Senior religious figures from France and Algeria have issued a joint call for reconciliation between the two nations, urging political leaders to prevent citizens from becoming victims of a prolonged diplomatic rift.
In an op-ed published in French daily Le Monde, Chems-Eddine Hafiz, rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, and Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers, wrote, “Our people must not be the collateral victims of diplomatic tension. Neither Algerians in France, nor the French in Algeria, nor Muslims, nor Christians must bear the stigma of state-to-state rivalry.”
Both leaders, who hold dual French-Algerian nationality, appealed for dialogue and healing of historical wounds.
Relations between Paris and Algiers, long marked by the colonial legacy of the 1954–1962 Algerian war of independence, have deteriorated further in the past year.
France’s support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara sparked anger in Algeria, leading to retaliatory expulsions of diplomats and disputes over deportations of Algerians from France.
The rift deepened after French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal was sentenced in March to five years over remarks on the Sahara deemed harmful to Algeria’s unity, while French journalist Christophe Gleizes received seven years for “apology for terrorism.”
Their supporters insist both cases are politically motivated and reflect the strain in Franco-Algerian relations.
Hafiz and Vesco emphasized that the discord stems from “a painful past, burdened by wounds that have not been spoken with the necessary truth.”
They stressed the need for reconciliation efforts that remain possible despite political setbacks. “We are brothers,” they declared, underscoring that fraternity must transcend religion, nationality, and ethnicity.
French President Emmanuel Macron initially sought reconciliation in 2017 over the legacy of Algeria’s independence war, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Yet the issue remains highly sensitive, with about 10% of France’s population having ties to Algeria. Instead of rapprochement, recent political moves have deepened divisions.
In July, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau revoked diplomatic privileges for 80 Algerian diplomats in France, warning further steps could follow.
Retailleau, a strong supporter of Sansal, has also urged the revocation of a 1968 immigration accord that underpins Algerian migration to France.
Hopes for an amnesty from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on July 5, Algeria’s independence day, went unfulfilled, despite public appeals.
Earlier this month, Macron directed Prime Minister Francois Bayrou to suspend a 2013 agreement on visa exemptions for diplomatic passports, citing security and migration concerns.
Algeria responded by ending rent-free arrangements for 61 French diplomatic properties in the country, accusing Paris of attempting to shift blame for the worsening standoff.
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