Algerian Parliament Declares French Colonisation a Crime, Demands Apology and Reparations
Algeria's parliament unanimously approved a law declaring France's colonisation of Algeria from 1830 to 1962 a crime. The legislation lists crimes committed during colonisation, including nuclear tests, extrajudicial killings, physical and psychological torture, and systematic plundering of resources. It asserts that full and fair compensation is an inalienable right of the Algerian state and people.
The vote took place in Algiers, where lawmakers wore scarves in the national flag colors and chanted "long live Algeria." Parliament speaker Ibrahim Boughali stated that the vote sends a clear message that Algeria's national memory is non-erasable and non-negotiable.
While largely symbolic, the move is politically significant and signals a rupture in the collective memory and diplomatic relations between Algeria and France amid an ongoing diplomatic crisis. Estimates of the war of independence (1954–1962) casualties differ, with Algeria claiming about 1.5 million deaths, while French historians estimate around 500,000 total deaths, including approximately 400,000 Algerians.
French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged colonisation as a crime against humanity but has not issued an official apology. France's foreign ministry declined to comment on Algeria's domestic political debates. Legal experts note that the law has no binding international effect, but its symbolic weight is meaningful, reflecting a rupture in historical memory as noted by scholar Hosni Kitouni.
