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France's Macron heads to Algeria in bid to heal colonial-era wounds

President Emmanuel Macron starts a three-day visit Thursday (August 25) to Algeria to help mend ties with the former French colony, which this year marks its 60th anniversary of independence.
Accompanied by seven ministers, Macron will be met at the airport in the capital Algiers by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at around 3:00 pm (1400 GMT), the Anews reported.
The visit comes less than a year after a monthslong diplomatic crisis between the two countries that stirred up post-colonial tensions and as war in Ukraine has reinforced Algeria's status as a key partner to provide gas to the European continent.
In recent years, Macron has made unprecedented steps to acknowledge torture and killings by French troops during Algeria's 1954-62 war of independence, in a bid to appease the two countries' still rancorous relations.
Yet the series of symbolic gestures has fallen short of an apology from France for its actions during the war — a longstanding demand from Algeria.

Macron is to meet Thursday with Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune at the presidential El Mouradia palace.
In a phone call with Tebboune Saturday, he said the trip will help "deepen the bilateral relationship," according to the Elysée. He expressed France's support after deadly wildfires in eastern Algeria.
President Macron to visit Algeria on August 25 in bid to reset ties
This is the second time Macron has been to Algeria as president. During a brief stop in December 2017, he called for a "partnership between equals." Months before that, during a trip to Algiers as a presidential candidate, he called colonization a "crime against humanity."
Macron, who is the first French president born after the end of Algeria's brutal seven-year war of independence in 1962, has promised a reckoning of colonial-era wrongs. The country was occupied by France for 132 years.
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In 2018, Macron recognized the responsibility of the French state in the 1957 death of a dissident in Algeria, Maurice Audin, admitting for the first time the military's use of systematic torture during the war.
He later made a key decision to speed up the declassification of secret documents related to the war, amid other gestures.
Source: anews
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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