Algiers – Algeria’s parliament has unanimously passed a law declaring France’s colonisation of the North African country a crime, criminalising the glorification of colonialism and demanding an official apology and reparations from Paris.
The legislation asserts that France bears “legal responsibility” for the tragedies caused during its occupation of Algeria between 1830 and 1962 and affirms that “full and fair” compensation is an “inalienable right of the Algerian state and people.”
Lawmakers celebrated the historic vote by wearing scarves in the colours of the national flag and chanting, “Long live Algeria,” according to AFP reports.
France’s colonisation of Algeria involved mass killings, large-scale deportations, and culminated in a bloody war of independence. Algeria estimates that 1.5 million people were killed during the struggle, though French historians cite lower figures. While French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged colonisation as a “crime against humanity,” he has not issued an official apology.
The vote comes amid strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, widely regarded as the lowest since Algeria gained independence 63 years ago. Algeria has also pressed France to return historical artefacts, including the 16th-century bronze cannon Baba Merzoug, removed from Algiers in 1830 and currently held in Brest, France.
In 2020, France returned the remains of 24 Algerian resistance fighters killed during the 19th-century struggle against colonial forces. Algeria has also hosted a conference of African states to advocate for justice and reparations from former colonial powers.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said the new law creates a legal framework for restitution, ensuring that it is not considered “a gift nor a favour.”
Tensions between Algeria and France have escalated in recent years, including disputes over Western Sahara and the arrest and subsequent pardon of French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, who was jailed in Algeria for allegedly undermining national security.
France has not yet issued a comment on the new legislation, which forms part of a broader international push for reparations for colonialism and the return of looted cultural heritage.
