Algeria: incarceration of Djebbar M'henna, a sign of appeasement towards France

Djebbar M'henna, former director of Algeria's General Directorate of Documentation and External Security (DGDSE), has been detained at Blida military prison. The arrest is part of a French investigation into the attempted kidnapping of opponent Amir DZ (Amir Boukhors), which allegedly took place in France in April 2025. French magistrates wanted to question several Algerian officials, and a request concerning M'henna was reportedly discussed during French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin's visit to Algiers on May 18, 2026. The incarceration is seen as a conciliatory gesture from Algiers towards Paris, amid a thaw in diplomatic relations after months of tensions.