In April 1827, a French consul got into an argument with the ruler of Algiers, who then allegedly swiped the Frenchman across the face with a fly whisk.
The incident has gone down in history since it is believed to have triggered the French invasion and colonisation of Algeria, which was to last a century.
Today, things are a little different. France needs Algeria’s gas and has been keen to sign a deal with Algiers (as have other European countries, like Italy). Yet the relationship is complicated, to say the least.
In an interview with Algerian media broadcast on Saturday night, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described his upcoming meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron as “a rendezvous with history”.
The comment, which will have been heard in Paris, triggered much talk about what issues, demands, and concessions will be discussed between the two leaders, but most suspect that Algeria will want some form of apology for the past.
Pain of the past
For Algerians, the pain and suffering at the hands of the French is still vivid, the pair having fought each other in Algeria’s war of independence from 1954-62.
Estimates vary hugely, but between 350,000 and 1.5 million Algerians died, as did around 30,000 French soldiers. Tens of thousands more were injured on both sides.
The phrase Tebboune used was not accidental. It conveys the visit's significance as a milestone moment in Algeria-France relations.
Professor Abdulghani Dandan, head of politics at the University of Guelma in Algeria, thinks it hints at historical ties, diplomatic breakthroughs, or significant agreements.
The visit could symbolise reconciliation and progress, even a new chapter in bilateral relations, indicating its symbolic importance. Culturally, it could facilitate exchanges, cooperation, and collaboration.
