French president heads to Algeria to relaunch ties

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit former colony Algeria next week in a bid to improve strained ties between Paris and Algiers, the French presidency said.

French-Algerian ties hit a low late last year after Macron reportedly questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before the French invasion and accused its "political-military system" of rewriting history and fomenting "hatred towards France".

Algeria withdrew its ambassador in response, but the two sides appear to have mended ties since.

"This trip will contribute to deepening the bilateral relationship looking to the future... to reinforce Franco-Algerian cooperation in the face of regional challenges and to continue the work of addressing the past," the presidency said in a statement after a call between Macron and his opposite number Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The North African country won its independence from France following a gruelling eight-year war, which ended with the signing in March 1962 of the Evian Accords.

On July 5 of the same year, days after 99.72 percent voted for independence in a referendum, Algeria finally broke free from colonial rule -- but memories of the 132-year occupation continue to haunt its ties with France.

The French presidency announced Macron's visit as Algeria reels from devastating wildfires.