Algeria Declares French Colonization a Crime, Calls for Official Apology and Reparations

Original article: Argelia declara la colonización francesa como un crimen y exige reparaciones por los daños causados

The Algerian Parliament unanimously approved a law categorizing French colonization, which spanned from 1830 to 1962, as a crime and demanded that France issue «official apologies and reparations for the damages inflicted».

According to international agencies, this legal initiative seeks to hold the European nation accountable for its «legal responsibility» concerning the atrocities committed during its colonial past. These include crimes that are non-expiable, such as homicides, torture, sexual violence, racial discrimination, resource plundering, nuclear testing, the use of prohibited weapons, and assaults on the Algerian state, among others.

Mohamed Lahcen Zeghidi, the coordinator of Algeria’s History and Memory Commission, described the enactment of the law to the Spanish broadcaster RTVE as «a historic moment,» emphasizing that it is grounded in «the principles of international law».

Abdelmalek Tachrift, the Minister of Mujahideen (combatants), clarified that the text «does not target the French people nor seek revenge», but simply demands recognition from Paris of the crimes committed, the provision of maps of landmines left by French occupation, and compensation for victims impacted by nuclear testing.

Moreover, the new law penalizes any media, academic, or political activity that glorifies or justifies French colonization. It also aims to punish those who deny its criminal nature, with sentences ranging from five to ten years in prison and financial fines.

The law’s approval was met with discontent in France. The Foreign Ministry, under President Emmanuel Macron, characterized the initiative as «manifestly hostile to the desire to resume Franco-Algerian dialogue and to a serene engagement on memory issues».

It’s important to remember that France conducted its first nuclear test on February 13, 1960, in southern Algeria. These tests continued until 1966, culminating in a total of 17 atmospheric and underground nuclear tests, with 11 occurring after the country’s independence, causing severe repercussions for the population and the environment.

El Ciudadano