French President Visits Algeria

French President François Hollande visited the North African nation of Algeria on Monday to discuss extremism, regional security issues and economic partnership with Algerian leaders.

French authorities say the chaotic situation in neighboring Libya was at the top of the agenda. The Mali peace process, following France’s 2013 military intervention to chase Islamic extremists from the country, was also expected to be discussed. “The topic that we have worked toward the same direction several times, is safety—particularly security in the Sahel,” said Hollande. “I salute the work that Algerian authorities undertook in Mali after our military intervention.” The French president added, “Safety is fighting against terrorism. I want to highlight our common fight against this enemy.”

Europe is deeply concerned with Northern Africa’s role as an incubator of terrorism, particularly nations like Algeria that line the Mediterranean Sea. It is taking increasingly robust steps to confront this threat at its source.