To preface the claims: Algeria will demand compensation from Paris for colonialism
The Algerian parliament is preparing to hand over to the government a bill criminalizing French colonialism, a document that could be Algeria's toughest step in its dispute with Paris in recent years. The text of the bill has already been prepared, Ahmad Saduk, deputy head of the Movement of Society for Peace party, deputy of the People's National Assembly, told Izvestia. He added that the initiative should be adopted before the end of the current convocation of parliament, i.e. within six months. The document records France's responsibility and demands compensation for crimes of the colonial era, including mass killings, which Paris has not yet recognized.
The law on the criminalization of French colonialism
The text of the draft law on the criminalization of French colonialism in Algeria has been prepared and is awaiting transmission to the Government. This was reported to Izvestia by the deputy head of the Movement of Society for Peace party, MP Ahmad Saduk. The document establishes France's responsibility for the period of colonial rule, from mass killings to war crimes, which Paris has not yet officially recognized. After the adoption of the French law, an official request will be sent for recognition of the genocide, apologies and compensation.
— Unfortunately, France has not yet recognized its crimes against Algeria — neither cases of genocide nor war crimes. She also did not apologize or offer compensation," Ahmad Saduk said.
He noted that the work on the document was carried out with the support of six parliamentary factions. His training accelerated significantly against the background of the aggravation of Algerian-French relations.
"It's an act of reciprocity. After all, France did not hesitate to adopt a law glorifying collaborators and traitors — this is the law of 2005. Algeria, on the contrary, was very late in adopting its law. This bill is about the truth, and the truth is not subject to the statute of limitations. It concerns the restoration of the dignity of the Algerian people, and this should not depend on the political situation," the deputy stressed.
In 2005, France passed the so-called Law on Colonialism, which required schools to "recognize the positive aspects of the French presence," especially in North Africa. The document was adopted, among other things, to honor the memory of the "Harki" — Algerians who fought on the side of France.
However, the law has drawn sharp criticism for trying to downplay the brutality of the colonial era. A year later, his most controversial point, which required teaching a "positive" version of the colonial past, was repealed, although the remaining provisions remained in force.
According to Ahmad Saduk, earlier the work of the commission progressed slowly, but it needs to be intensified and a law should be passed before the end of the term of office of the current convocation, i.e. within six months.
— The Commission has been working for a year and has completed the preparation of the text of the bill. Now the document is almost ready — it only remains to go through the procedure of transfer to the government, which must give its opinion, and then return the draft to parliament for discussion at the plenary session and voting, Saduk said.
More than 5.6 million people died in Algeria during the period of colonialism.
The initiative to criminalize colonialism is not new to Algerian politics. A similar draft was submitted to parliament back in 2021, but then it did not reach consideration. Now the situation has changed, and the probability of the adoption of the law is much higher.
Algerian political analyst Akram Kharif told Izvestia that in the absence of presidential intervention, the document is almost guaranteed to be approved, since there is a rare consensus in parliament and no one will risk voting against.
Algeria is among the countries that most consistently demand recognition of crimes committed during the colonial era. During the 130 years of French rule, which began in 1830, according to the Algerian authorities, more than 5.6 million people died. One of the most tragic episodes is considered to be the suppression of the Setif uprising in 1945, when French troops brutally massacred the protesters. These events, according to historians, became the prologue to the War of independence.
Algeria has repeatedly called on Paris to recognize the crimes of the period of colonization. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously stated Russia's support for Algeria in its efforts to hold France accountable for crimes committed during the colonial period.
The global debate on compensation for former colonies is also gaining momentum. Caribbean States are demanding payments from Britain, France and the Netherlands for centuries of slavery. In Africa, similar claims have been made, in particular, by Niger and Sao Tome and Principe, which consider it necessary to compensate for the damage caused by resource exploitation.
France has abolished a special migration regime for Algerian citizens.
Today, relations between Algeria and France are experiencing one of the most severe crises. Its new wave began after Paris supported the Moroccan plan for the autonomy of Western Sahara in 2024. In response, Algeria recalled its ambassador.
Western Sahara is a territory in northwestern Africa bordering Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. Until 1975, it was a colony of Spain, after which it was claimed by Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, proclaimed by the Frente POLISARIO, supported by Algeria.
POLISARIO is seeking the region's independence, while Morocco agrees only to grant it autonomy within the kingdom and now controls about 80% of its territory. Despite numerous attempts at international mediation, negotiations between Morocco and the POLISARIO, which began in 2007, have not led to a result.
The situation worsened after the arrest in Algeria of writer Boualem Sansal, who is accused of undermining national unity. Paris demanded his release, citing the author's French nationality, but the Algerian authorities refused. In response, France launched a campaign of detentions of Algerian bloggers who support the Algerian leadership, followed by an attempt to deport them. Sansal was released on November 12 after being pardoned by Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune.
The French National Assembly gave an additional impetus to the tension by approving a resolution denouncing the 1968 agreement, which provided for a special migration regime for Algerian citizens. French MPs, primarily from right-wing radical factions, called the document outdated and demanded its cancellation. This happened against the background of diplomatic conflicts, disputes over visa policy and the recent expulsions of Algerian diplomats from France.
— There are almost five million Algerians living in France, most of them have dual citizenship. The cancellation of the agreement cannot in any way "cancel" them, limit their presence or influence them. The majority of Algerians are qualified specialists and personnel who have contributed and continue to contribute to the development of France and create added value for the country, Ahmad Sadouk believes.
Against this background, the initiative to criminalize French colonialism is becoming part of a broad campaign for Algeria to rethink relations with the former metropolis.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
