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Algeria Criminalizes French Colonization, Demands Apologies and Reparations

French analysts cast it as a symbolic memory law with little legal bite that is likely to reverberate in domestic politics.

Overview

  • The People’s National Assembly in Algiers passed the measure on December 24 in a unanimous, no‑debate vote that labels French rule a “crime d’État.”
  • The law seeks official apologies from Paris, recognition of legal responsibility, and “complete and equitable” compensation for material and moral harms.
  • APN president Brahim Boughali said the move is not about revenge but about affirming historical truth and safeguarding national dignity.
  • Analyses describe the statute as domestically enforceable but internationally limited, with its chief impact expected in diplomacy and long‑term relations.
  • In France, former ambassador Xavier Driencourt says the initiative is designed to sow divisions across parties, while commentator Éric Naulleau urges a tougher line, including breaking relations and suspending visas.