France’s rule over Algeria from 1830 to 1962 is marked by mass killings and large-scale deportation
Algeria’s parliament has unanimously approved a law declaring France’s colonisation of the country a crime and demanded an apology and reparations.
Lawmakers, standing in the chamber wearing scarves in the colours of the national flag, chanted “long live Algeria” on Wednesday as they applauded the passage of the bill, which states that France holds “legal responsibility for its colonial past in Algeria and the tragedies it caused”.
The two countries are embroiled in a major diplomatic crisis and analysts say that while Algeria’s move is largely symbolic, it is still politically significant.
The parliament speaker, Ibrahim Boughali, told the APS state news agency that the vote would send “a clear message, both internally and externally, that Algeria’s national memory is neither erasable nor negotiable”.
