The Algerian legislature has voted unanimously for a piece of legislation stating French colonial rule of the nation a criminal act and demanded an apology and reparations.
Lawmakers, standing in the chamber wearing scarves in the colors of the Algerian flag, chanted “vive l'Algérie” on Wednesday as they applauded the approval of the bill, which affirms that France holds “legal responsibility for its history of colonisation in Algeria and the atrocities it caused”.
A Diplomatic Crisis and a Political Move
The two countries are embroiled in a major bilateral dispute and observers note that while Algeria’s move is largely symbolic, it is still politically significant.
“a clear message, both domestically and externally, that the nation's historical memory is neither erasable nor negotiable.”
The law enumerates the “atrocities of colonial rule”, which include atomic tests, summary executions, “physical and psychological torture” and the “widespread looting of resources”.
Call for Compensation
It states that “full and fair reparation for all physical and psychological harms caused by French colonisation is an inalienable right of the state and its people”.
France’s rule over Algeria from the 19th century until independence was a period characterized by widespread deaths and forced displacements, all the way up to the bloody war of independence from 1954 to 1962.
- Algerian officials says the war killed 1.5 million lives.
- French historians estimate the fatalities at 500,000 in total, four hundred thousand of them Algerian.
French Reaction and Historical View
The head of state, Emmanuel Macron, has in the past recognized the colonial era of Algeria as a “grave injustice” but has stopped short of an official apology.
Questioned last week about the parliamentary decision, a French foreign ministry spokesperson stated he would not comment on “internal political matters taking place in foreign countries”.
A researcher in colonial history, commented that “legally, this legislation has no international scope and therefore is not binding for the French state”. However, “its diplomatic and emblematic importance is important: it marks a rupture in the ties with France in terms of historical memory,” he added.
