After maintaining silence regarding the abduction of a Spanish citizen on its soil by a terrorist group on January 14, Algeria is now asserting its role in the individual's release. «From the first hours of the kidnapping, the country's high authorities, led by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, gave instructions to deploy all efforts and mobilize the necessary means to find, free, and ensure the integrity of the hostage», stated Lounès Magramane, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press briefing attended by the former hostage. This narrative, however, warrants caution. The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) announced on Tuesday, January 21, via a press release, that it had successfully freed the Spanish tourist, Navarro Giane Gilbert, who was kidnapped on Algerian territory. The organization, which opposes the Malian regime in Bamako, claimed to have handed over the former hostage to Algerian authorities. Relations between Algeria and Tuareg groups have been relatively positive since the Malian transitional government's withdrawal from the Algiers Accords on January 25, 2024. This was highlighted by President Tebboune's meeting on February 26, 2024, with representatives of Azawad liberation movements, who were signatories of the 2015 Algiers Accords. The reception for the freed Spanish tourist at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday coincided with the arrival of General Michael Langley, head of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in Algiers. The American official was received by General Said Chengriha and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
