Algeria's Parliament approves law declaring French colonisation a crime

The 27-article law, passed on Wednesday, establishes the French state's legal responsibility for its colonial past. It outlines mechanisms to seek formal recognition and apologies for colonial-era crimes as a prerequisite for historical reconciliation. The legislation lists offences including nuclear testing, extrajudicial killings, torture, and the "systematic plundering of resources," while affirming Algeria's right to "full and fair compensation" for all material and moral damages.

France has not yet commented on the vote.

The law was drafted in May by a parliamentary commission formed in March, representing Algeria's main political groups. At the time, Speaker of the People's National Assembly Brahim Boughali described the legislation as a "moral and historical duty" to honour the sacrifices of the Algerian people and seek truth.

While calls for such legislation date back to 1984, previous attempts - including a 2001 proposal - faced repeated delays. The issue resurfaced in 2005 following a controversial French law mandating that schools teach the "positive role" of colonialism. By 2021, over 100 Algerian lawmakers supported a bill to bar agreements with France until it acknowledges its colonial crimes.

Lawmakers, historians, and legal experts have long insisted on a formal apology for specific atrocities, such as the 1845 Dahra Massacre, where French troops killed hundreds of Algerians by smoking them out of cave refuges. They also point to nuclear tests in the Sahara, which exposed local populations to severe radiation; many Algerians continue to suffer from the resulting health consequences today.

The diplomatic rift between Algiers and Paris has deepened in recent months, fueled by disputes over immigration, historical grievances, and France's backing of Morocco regarding Western Sahara. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has maintained that direct talks with French President Emmanuel Macron are the only path to resolving these bilateral issues.

In 2021, Macron acknowledged that the colonisation of Algeria was a "crime against humanity," but he stopped short of offering a formal state apology.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA