A gesture of appeasement.
In a telephone interview on Saturday February 20, French President Emmanuel Macron "welcomed the amnesty" for prisoners of conscience decided by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, as well as other measures taken by the government to the second anniversary of the popular Hirak uprising, the Élysée reported on Sunday (February 21st).
"The President of the Republic told him of his support for the implementation of the reforms underway," said this source in a press release.
The Algerian president promised on Friday a cabinet reshuffle within "48 hours", the dissolution of the National Assembly and the organization of early legislative elections by the end of the year.
He also decided to pardon "between 55 and 60" detainees of Hirak, this popular uprising of 2019 which had resulted in the departure of the ex-strongman Abdelaziz Bouteflika after four presidential terms.
"Strengthen exchanges and cooperation between France and Algeria"
"The two heads of state have agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between France and Algeria," reports the French presidency.
"They also discussed the follow-up to be given to the report on the memory of colonization and the Algerian war that Benjamin Stora submitted to the President of the Republic on January 20," wrote the Élysée.
The Stora report received a mixed reception in Algiers: government spokesman Ammar Belhimer considered it "non-objective" and "below expectations" from Algeria.
Emmanuel Macron underlined its "quality" and its "relevance" and "reiterated to his interlocutor his desire to continue the work of memory, recognition of the truth and reconciliation", indicates the Elysee.
With AFP
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Apologies, reparations: the Stora report on Algeria awakens eternal friction
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