Tuareg rebels and the Malian government on Tuesday exchanged dozens of prisoners in a goodwill gesture on the eve of peace talks opening in Algiers, an Agence France Presse correspondent witnessed.

Forty-five Malian soldiers and police captured during clashes at the end of May in the west African nation's restive northeast arrived at Bamako's airport, where they were welcomed by Prime Minister Moussa Mara.

Malian government negotiators come to the table with rebel groups on Wednesday hoping to strike an elusive peace deal with the country mired in conflict a year after returning to democracy.

Riven by ethnic rivalries, a separatist rebellion and an Islamist insurgency in its vast desert north, the west African nation has struggled for stability and peace since a military coup in 2012.

Salafists protested on Friday against government plans to reopen synagogues which were closed for security reasons during Algeria's civil war of the 1990s.

After weekly Friday prayers at Al-Mouminine mosque in the poor Belcourt district of Algiers, dozens of worshipers tried to march in the streets but were blocked by police, an Agence France Presse journalist reported.

Algeria has proposed a regional meeting next week to tackle conflict in Mali after talks with Burkina Faso's leader, who has been mediating in the troubled west African state.

"We offer to launch the initial phase of an inclusive inter-Malian dialogue on July 16 in Algiers, in the presence of ministers from countries in the region," Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said late Wednesday in Ouagadoudou.

Algeria's ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika took part in independence celebrations and appeared in public Saturday for the first time since he was sworn in for a fourth term in April.

State television showed Bouteflika, 77, a former officer in the National Liberation Army (NLA), seated in a wheelchair as he laid a wreath at the martyrs' cemetery in El-Alia, an Algiers suburb, for the 52nd anniversary of independence.

The American embassy in Algiers has warned of a possible attack by "an unspecified terrorist group" over the weekend and advised its staff to avoid U.S.-operated hotels.

"As of June 2014 an unspecified terrorist group may have been considering attacks in Algiers, possibly in the vicinity of a U.S. branded hotel," the mission said on its website.

French police arrested at least 74 people overnight Friday after rioting and looting erupted following Algeria's historic qualification for the second round of the World Cup.

Police said some 30 people were arrested in the Paris region and the rest in cities across the country, after Algeria reached the last 16 for the first time in their history with a 1-1 draw against Russia.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for coordinated efforts to fight "terrorism" during a visit to Algiers on Wednesday, his first trip abroad since his election in May.

"The purpose of my visit to Algeria is to reach a shared vision of common interests and challenges facing the two countries and the region," Algerian official media quoted the ex-army chief as saying.

Dark horses Belgium staged a late fightback to beat Algeria 2-1 and deny the Africans a first World Cup win in 32 years on Tuesday.

Second-half goals from substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens secured an opening Group H victory for the Red Devils after Algeria had taken a 25th-minute lead via a Sofiane Feghouli penalty.

Three armed groups from northern Mali announced in Algiers on Sunday that they have agreed to begin talks with the Bamako government aimed at resolving long-standing disputes.

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA) and the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) had signed the "Algiers Declaration" late Monday, demanding "inclusive" peace and political talks in their troubled country.