The Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, affirmed on Tuesday May 7 that the memorial file with France on the colonial era “cannot be the subject of concessions or compromise” and must be treated in a “bold” manner.
“The issue of memory cannot be the subject of concessions or compromise and will remain at the heart of our concerns until its objective, bold and equitable treatment with regard to historical truth,” affirmed Mr. Tebboune in a message to the occasion of Memory Day, marking the anniversary of the massacres of May 8, 1945.
On this date, a parade in the city of Sétif (East) celebrating the victory of the Allies over Nazism transformed into a demonstration for “free and independent Algeria” and turned into tragedy, triggering riots and repression by the forces French attacks which will cause thousands of deaths.
While affirming “being ready to move forward into the future in a climate of confidence”, President Tebboune considered that “credibility and seriousness are a fundamental requirement to complete the measures and efforts linked to this delicate and sensitive issue”. .
Early presidential election on September 7
A joint commission of historians from the two countries is working on the file of the memory of the colonization of Algeria by France (1830-1962), a source of frequent tensions in relations between Algiers and Paris.
This commission, created in 2022, is made up of ten French and Algerian historians and has already held four meetings. At the beginning of February, she recommended placing plaques “in places of memory” in France where Algerians imprisoned at the start of colonization rest.
The commission also reaffirmed the proposals made during their three previous meetings, including the restitution of archives of Algeria from the Ottoman era and that of “symbolic property” having belonged to Emir Abdelkader, including his swords and his Koran, held in France between 1848 and 1852, in Amboise, in Indre-et-Loire.
A snap presidential election is due to be held on September 7 in Algeria, three months ahead of schedule. Mr. Tebboune, in power since 2019, has not yet announced whether he will seek a new mandate.
Before the announcement of the early vote, the Algerian presidency had announced that Mr. Tebboune would make “the end of September, the beginning of October” a state visit to France, which has been repeatedly postponed due to diplomatic friction between the two countries, including on the issue. memorial.