Macron seeks to mend ties with Algeria as energy crisis bites

A soldier and members of the Algerian Republican Guard, guard the remains of 24 Algerians at the Moufdi-Zakaria culture palace in Algiers, on July 3, 2020. [AP]

French President Emmanuel Macron is heading to Algeria for a three-day official visit aimed at addressing two major challenges: boosting future economic relations while seeking to heal wounds inherited from the colonial era, 60 years after the North African country won its independence from France.

The visit comes less than a year after a months-long 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.