صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
Algeria –Yesterday, Monday, the Algerian Parliament approved an amended version of the law criminalizing French colonialism for the period between 1830 and 1962, after introducing amendments to a number of its articles in response to the observations of the National Assembly, the second chamber of Parliament.
The amendments included 13 articles from the original text, including the cancellation of a clause that stipulated the right of the Algerian state and people to obtain “comprehensive and fair compensation” for the material and moral damages caused by French colonialism during that stage.
On the other hand, the law, in its new form, maintained the demand for compensation for the victims of the nuclear bombings carried out by France in the Algerian desert during the period between 1960 and 1966, which left humanitarian and environmental impacts that are still controversial to this day.
The National Assembly had previously made reservations, during the discussion of the law last January, on some of its articles, considering that they did not fully reflect the official approach expressed by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who confirmed on several occasions that Algeria was not seeking financial compensation from France.
The rapporteur of the joint parliamentary committee, Fawzi Bendjaballah, explained that the new version of the law is in line with “the principled position of the Algerian state,” noting that Algeria adheres to historical recognition of what happened during the colonial period, without linking this to material demands.
France had described the first version of the law, when it was previously adopted, as “clearly hostile,” especially in light of the tension that characterized bilateral relations between the two countries during the recent period.
A number of historians believe that the French colonial period in Algeria, which began in 1830, was characterized by widespread repression, which included mass massacres and deportations, in addition to the destruction of a large part of the country’s social and economic structure.
That period also witnessed the outbreak of several uprisings against the colonial presence, before it escalated into the War of Independence between 1954 and 1962, which the Algerian narrative indicates resulted in the death of about 1.5 million people, while French historians estimate the number at about 500,000 dead, including about 400,000 Algerians.
This law comes in the context of tense relations between Paris and Algeria, especially since late 2024, when France announced its support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco to resolve the Sahara issue under its sovereignty. Despite some indications of limited improvement since last February after the visit of the French Minister of the Interior to Algeria and the resumption of security cooperation, bilateral relations are still witnessing noticeable tension.
Source:“My press”
