Algeria and France have effectively entered a new phase of “full normalization” in bilateral relations after nearly two years of diplomatic tensions triggered by Paris’ support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, in a shift that suggests growing Algerian recognition that the conflict is moving steadily toward a settlement under Morocco’s autonomy initiative.
According to French media, the visit by French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces Alice Rufo to Algeria, and her meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, marked the beginning of a new chapter between the two countries after both sides announced strengthened cooperation in security, defense, migration, and judicial affairs.
The visit also coincided with the return of French ambassador Stéphane Romatet to Algiers nearly a year after he was recalled to Paris at the height of the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
The rapprochement reflects a significant shift in Algeria’s approach toward France, especially since the core of the dispute was not limited to historical memory issues, migration disputes, or traditional political tensions, but was primarily linked to France’s position on the Moroccan Sahara issue.
In July 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron officially endorsed Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, describing autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the “only realistic framework” for resolving the conflict.
The French position triggered unprecedented anger in Algiers at the time and led to one of the deepest diplomatic crises between the two countries in recent years.
Less than two years later, however, Algeria now appears to be moving quickly to end a dispute that caused it growing diplomatic and political difficulties, at a time when international indicators increasingly point toward a final resolution of the Sahara issue under Morocco’s autonomy proposal.
In recent weeks, UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara Staffan de Mistura spoke of a “real opportunity” to reach a “satisfactory” solution for the parties involved in the conflict, comments widely interpreted as evidence of tangible progress in the UN-led political process.
That process is based on UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which calls for continued political negotiations aimed at achieving a realistic, practical, and lasting solution within the framework of Morocco’s autonomy initiative, which has gained increasing international support since the resolution’s adoption.
Recent months have also seen intensified US involvement in the file, with Washington overseeing three meetings involving the parties concerned in an effort to advance negotiations toward a final settlement based on Moroccan autonomy.
According to detailed information obtained by Assahifa, Morocco presented during these negotiations an expanded and more detailed version of its autonomy proposal, with discussions reportedly focused almost entirely on that framework without the consideration of alternative solutions.
At the same time, Algeria appears to be adopting a more pragmatic approach toward international developments surrounding the Sahara issue, particularly as its diplomatic room for maneuver narrows amid growing support for Morocco’s position from major Western powers.
In this context, recent remarks by President Tebboune regarding the Sahara issue attracted considerable attention after he merely stated that there was a “UN process taking its course,” without offering further details or returning to Algeria’s traditionally hardline rhetoric regarding Morocco’s autonomy proposal.
Those comments were interpreted by several observers of the Sahara issue as a sign of implicit Algerian acceptance of the ongoing UN-led negotiations, which are increasingly centered on autonomy as the basis for a political settlement.
The same sources believe Algeria now understands that maintaining tensions with France over the Sahara issue no longer serves any meaningful political or diplomatic purpose, especially after Paris emerged as one of the strongest European supporters of Morocco’s position.
The growing Algerian-French rapprochement also reflects a broader international shift surrounding the Sahara issue, with major powers increasingly viewing Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the most realistic and implementable solution after five decades of conflict that drained the region politically, economically, and strategically.
