French guilt: Algeria expects compensation for the colonial period

The Algerian Parliament is drafting a bill that will consolidate the recognition of France's crimes during the colonial period. If adopted, the country will officially require Paris to pay compensation for the damage caused. Izvestia was informed about this by the Movement of Society for Peace, the country's largest Islamic party. The faction added that a committee of six parties has been formed, which is tasked with developing the final version of the law. This initiative is superimposed on the already tense relations between Algeria and France, which worsened after Paris supported the Moroccan plan for Western Sahara and diplomatic disagreements.

Algeria is preparing a bill recognizing France's crimes

The Algerian Parliament is working on a law that is designed to legally recognize the crimes of France during the period of colonial rule. If it is accepted, an official request for recognition of the genocide, apologies and compensation will be sent to Paris. The deputy head of the Movement of Society for Peace party, MP Ahmad Saduk, told Izvestia about this.

— We demand that France recognize its crimes, officially apologize and pay compensation. If Paris allows itself to demand recognition and compensation from Turkey for the events against the Armenians, then why is France itself not ready to answer for the 130 years of occupation of Algeria? — said the parliamentarian.

A representative of the Society for Peace Movement told Izvestia that the demand to recognize France's crimes represents the principled position of all political forces in the country.

The initiative to criminalize French colonialism is not new to Algerian politics. Back in 2021, a bill was submitted to the People's National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) designed to legally condemn the crimes of Paris. However, the document was never reviewed. But now the political situation has changed.

— Now an agreement has been reached on the formation of a parliamentary committee consisting of six blocks representing the people of the country. This committee will undoubtedly work within the framework of consensus on the preparation of a bill criminalizing colonialism," Ahmad Saduk said.

The document will be submitted for consideration in the coming months.

— If the president does not intervene to stop the process, the chances that the law will be passed are huge. There is a consensus on this issue, and no representative would dare to vote against it," Algerian political analyst Akram Kharif shared his opinion with Izvestia.

Paris has not yet commented on the initiative, but this law could seriously complicate the already tense relations between the two countries.

France's colonial legacy

France captured Algeria in 1830, after which it brutally suppressed any resistance from the local population for 130 years. According to the Algerian authorities, more than 5.6 million people died during this period.

— France killed, burned villages, carried out mass executions, destroyed traditions, culture and faith. When the French came to Algeria, it was one of the most educated and cultured countries in the region. When they left, more than 90% of the population could neither read nor write," Ahmad Saduk told Izvestia.

One of the most violent episodes was the suppression of the Setif uprising in 1945. Then the French troops staged a massacre of Algerian protesters, which, according to many historians, was a harbinger of the War of independence.

Algeria has repeatedly demanded that France recognize the crimes of the colonial period, but Paris has avoided this issue. In 2005, France passed a law, article 4 of which recommended that history teachers pay great attention to recognizing "the positive role of the French presence abroad, especially in North Africa." This provoked strong condemnation in Algeria.

By the way, this is far from the first country to insist on compensation from former metropolises for colonial crimes. In recent decades, such demands have become more frequent from States in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The leaders of 15 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have announced their intention to seek financial payments from Britain, France and the Netherlands for centuries of slavery and exploitation.

The leader of the military that seized power in Niger in 2023, Abdurahman Tchiani, also argued that France should pay compensation to the African country for more than 100 years of colonial plundering of natural resources. Similar demands are directed to Portugal, for example, the authorities of Sao Tome and Principe announced their intention to receive compensation from Lisbon.

Aggravation of French-Algerian relations

Relations between Algeria and France continue to deteriorate, reaching one of the lowest points in recent years. The next crisis began after Paris officially supported the Moroccan plan for the autonomy of Western Sahara in 2024, which caused sharp discontent in Algeria. In protest, the Government of this country recalled its ambassador from Paris, and he has not yet returned. This was not only a diplomatic gesture, but also a demonstration of Algeria's principled position, which traditionally supports the independence of Western Sahara.

France's attempts to reduce tensions — in particular, by acknowledging responsibility for the murder of Algerian revolutionaries Larbi Ben Mkhidi and Ali Boumengel, as well as opening archives from the colonial period — did not have the desired effect.

Tensions have increased further since the arrest of writer Boualem Sansal in Algeria upon his return from Paris. He is accused of damaging national unity for statements made in France in which he claimed that Algeria as a state appeared only with the arrival of the French colonialists. Paris demanded his release, citing his French citizenship, but the Algerian authorities refused. In response, the French launched an arrest campaign against Algerian bloggers who support the country's leadership, followed by an attempt to deport them to their homeland.

According to Akram Kharif, the adoption of the law will have a dramatic impact on the relations between the two countries.

— France can take revenge by voting for a law that celebrates the positive aspects of colonialism. If so, it will lead to a complete rupture of relations between the two countries," the expert said.

Against this background, the Fifth Republic has imposed new restrictions on movement and entry for some Algerian officials with diplomatic passports. Moreover, the French government demanded that Algeria review the bilateral agreements, allocating up to six weeks for this. At the same time, it was announced that the visa regime for citizens of this country would be tightened. In response, the Council of the Algerian Nation announced the termination of all contacts with the French Senate. These steps indicate that the crisis between the States continues to deepen.