French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday appealed to Algerian leader Abdelmadjid Tebboune to extend “mercy and humanity” to detained French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.
During a “long, frank and friendly” conversation, both leaders addressed diplomatic tensions that have built up in recent months, alongside broader discussions on bilateral relations, the statement noted.
Macron has repeatedly urged Algeria to release the 80-year-old writer, emphasizing Sansal’s deteriorating health due to cancer.
The author received a five-year prison sentence last Thursday after an interview he granted to a French far-right media outlet was deemed to threaten Algeria’s territorial integrity.
The Elysee reiterated Macron’s plea, stating that he had “called for a gesture of mercy and humanity towards Mr. Boualem Sansal, given the age and state of health of the writer.”
To further diplomatic discussions, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is set to visit Algiers on Sunday at the invitation of the Algerian government, with an agenda aimed at strengthening ties between the two nations.
Sansal’s imprisonment has added another layer of strain to the already tense Franco-Algerian relationship, which has been complicated by migration disputes and Macron’s decision last year to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a move contested by Algeria-backed Polisario Front.
A critic of both the Algerian government and Islamist movements, Sansal found himself on trial for asserting in the controversial interview that colonial-era France unfairly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria.
During their exchange, Macron and Tebboune reaffirmed their intent to mend ties and rekindle security cooperation.
They also agreed that migration between the two nations should “immediately” resume, signaling an effort to resolve friction caused by Algeria’s recent refusal to take back undocumented migrants from France.
Additionally, the two leaders committed to reviving the work of a joint panel of historians investigating the complex history between France and its former colony, which gained independence in 1962 following a protracted eight-year war.
The Elysee also confirmed that Macron and Tebboune agreed “in principle” to hold an in-person meeting at a later date.
Tebboune, speaking a week prior, had described Macron as the “only point of reference” for improving French-Algerian relations.
