'We are brothers': French and Algerian religious leaders call on countries to mend diplomatic rift

Relations between France and Algeria have been historically difficult, shaped by a painful colonial legacy

Worshippers gather at the Great Mosque of Paris. AFP

The rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, Chems-Eddine Hafiz, and the archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vesco, have issued a joint appeal for reconciliation between France and Algeria after more than a year of escalating diplomatic tension.

“Our people must not be the collateral victims of diplomatic tension,” they wrote in an op-ed published at the weekend in French daily Le Monde. “Neither Algerian citizens in France, nor the French in Algeria, nor Muslims, nor Christians must bear the stigma of state-to-state rivalry.”

Both religious leaders hold dual French-Algerian citizenship. Relations between France and Algeria have historically been difficult, shaped by a painful colonial legacy. However, ties have further deteriorated in the past year after French President Emmanuel Macron supported Moroccan sovereignty in the Sahara region. The move angered Algeria.

The rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, Chems-Eddine Hafiz, has urged France and Algeria to overcome tension and focus on reconciliation. AFP

Retaliatory expulsions of diplomats ensued, further aggravated by Algeria's refusal to take back Algerians deemed dangerous by France. Tension has recently sharpened over the fate of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, 80, who was sentenced to five years in prison by an Algerian court in March over comments on the Sahara region. He was accused of “undermining national unity”.

Another case involved French football journalist Christophe Gleizes, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for “apology for terrorism”. Accusations have been rejected by their supporters, who say they are victims of diplomatic tension.

“We can only note that the current deterioration in relations between France and Algeria has its roots in a painful past, burdened by wounds that have not been spoken with the necessary truth,” Mr Hafiz and Mr Vesco wrote. “Words of reconciliation have been lacking. They would have opened the way to a peaceful future. They are still possible.”

At the start of his mandate in 2017, Mr Macron had hoped to launch a process of reconciliation over the legacy of the 1954-1962 Algerian war of independence, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Yet to this day, it remains a deeply sensitive and unresolved chapter in both nations' histories. About 10 per cent of France's population is believed to have links to Algeria.

“We are brothers,” Mr Hafiz and Mr Vesco said. “Being brothers in humanity means rejecting any boundaries that confine fraternity to ethnicity, religion or nation. It means choosing to live it as a universal, fragile, and demanding vocation.”

Their calls for fraternity contrast with recent decisions taken by politicians both in Paris and Algiers. In July, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a vocal supporter of Mr Sansal, withdrew diplomatic privileges from 80 Algerian diplomats living in France. “It's only a start,” his entourage warned in French media. “We can go further.”

Mr Retailleau has long pushed for Paris to revoke a 1968 agreement that lays the foundation for Algerian immigration to France.

The archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vesco, has said ordinary people often become victims in political conflicts. AFP

Mr Retailleau hoped that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune would issue an amnesty on July 5 – Algeria's independence day, traditionally reserved for amnesties. This did not happen, despite public appeals and Mr Sansal's ill health.

Earlier this month, Mr Macron asked Prime Minister Francois Bayrou in a letter to suspend a 2013 agreement regarding visa exemptions for official and diplomatic passports. “We have no choice but to adopt a firmer approach,” Mr Macron said, pointing to growing migratory and security “difficulties”.

Algeria responded swiftly, accusing France of trying to “exonerate” itself of any blame in the stand-off. It also ended rent-free arrangements for France's diplomatic missions in Algeria. According to state news agency APS, the move will affect 61 locations, some of which had been leased to France for token sums.