Algeria passes law declaring French colonisation a state crime, demands apology and reparations

Algerian parliament passes law declaring French colonisation of Algeria a crime.

As Algerian MPs gathered in parliament on Wednesday, they opened the session with a rendition of the national anthem.

They then unanimously passed a bill declaring French colonisation of Algeria a “crime of state.” The new law demands an apology and reparations.

The President of the Assembly said the bill sends a “clear political message that Algeria’s memory is neither erasable nor negotiable."

France ruled the North African nation from 1830 to 1962. The bloody eight-year war of independence killed hundreds of thousands of Algerians.

The law provides a list of crimes committed by French colonisers, including torture, nuclear testing and the plunder of resources.

French President Emmanuel Macron has previously acknowledged France's colonisation of Algeria as a “crime against humanity” but stopped short of offering an apology.

The bill isn’t legally binding for France but analysts say it marks a significant break in relations between the two countries.

Worsening relations

Tensions between the two countries have been simmering for months, exacerbated by France's support for Morocco's autonomy plan over the disputed Western Sahara region—a stance that Algeria perceives as a betrayal of its longstanding position supporting the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.

The two countries have also recently engaged in tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions following the arrest of an Algerian consular official in France.

Migration issues have also been a point of contention. France has accused Algeria of refusing to repatriate Algerian nationals expelled from France, leading to France's decision to impose travel restrictions on Algerian diplomatic passport holders. Algeria condemned the move as a breach of bilateral agreements and warned of "strict and immediate countermeasures."