March 24 () –
The presidents of France and Algeria, Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmayid Tebune, have closed the open diplomatic crisis surrounding the Algerian opposition member Amira Buraui with the announcement of the prompt return to Paris of the Algerian ambassador, Said Musi, called for consultations last month .
Algeria made this decision after learning that Buraui, sentenced to two years in prison in May 2021 for various charges “against the national unity of the country”, was “clandestinely exfiltrated” to France, as announced at the time by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Algerian.
In the statement on Friday, the Elysée confirmed that Buraui – whom it limits itself to identifying as “a Franco-Algerian citizen” – arrived in France from Tunisia “with the support of the French consular services” on February 6 , two days before the ambassador’s call for inquiries.
In the note, the French Presidency explains that the telephone conversation held by Macron and Tebune, both leaders have agreed to “strengthen communication channels” to avoid “regrettable misunderstandings being repeated”, as described in the case of the opposition.
Thus, President Tebune informed Macron of the “return to France of the Algerian ambassador in the coming days,” according to the statement.
For the rest, the two presidents took stock of the bilateral relationship and the application of the Algiers Declaration signed during the Algerian president’s visit to France in August last year, a document that certified a “new irreversible dynamic” in relations between both countries, 60 years after Algerian independence from French colonialism.
Lastly, the two presidents “also addressed issues of regional stability, particularly the fight against terrorism in the Sahel,” the statement concluded.
