Benjamin Stora Calls for Comprehensive Action on French-Algerian Historical Memory

French historian Benjamin Stora has stressed the need to launch a comprehensive initiative to address the issue of historical memory, encompassing archives, education and testimonies.

He emphasised that an apology for the crimes committed by French colonialism against the Algerian people, on its own, would not be sufficient to resolve historical disputes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 29th Algiers International Book Fair, where he took part in a conference marking the centenary of the founding of the North African Star (Étoile Nord-Africaine), Stora highlighted the extent of French public ignorance about what took place during the colonial period.

He noted that the French “are not sufficiently familiar with the history of the Algerian national movement”, referring to attempts by certain circles in France to denigrate Algeria, going so far as to question the country’s deep-rooted civilisational heritage.

Stora argued that broad-based educational and awareness-raising efforts are needed among the French public, given that many people remain unfamiliar with the realities of the colonial system.

In this regard, he discussed his book Un historien et des images, l’Algérie en guerre (1954–1962) (A Historian and Images: Algeria at War, 1954–1962), published in Algeria to mark the 72nd anniversary of the outbreak of the November 1, 1954 Revolution.

He described its publication as “a significant event” after five decades of research into the history of the Algerian Revolution, recalling that the subject has been at the heart of virtually all his scholarly work.

According to Stora, the book examines “the power of images and representations in shaping the narrative of the victorious liberation revolution, alongside the silence and concealment surrounding acts of colonial violence committed against Algerians”.

Asked to assess the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report he was commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron to prepare in 2021 on the issue of historical memory, Stora described the results as “mixed”.

He noted that several proposals had been implemented, including official recognition of the assassinations of prominent Algerian revolutionary figures.

Stora said that efforts to address historical memory had “recently slowed down”, following a series of steps taken by the French president at the beginning of his term, including the return of the skulls of Algerian resistance fighters and recognition of the assassinations of Algerian figures.

He also did not rule out the possibility of political pressure from the far right, which opposes acknowledging France’s colonial past.

The issue of historical memory remains one of the most sensitive points in French-Algerian relations, with questions of recognition, accountability and access to colonial archives continuing to shape discussions between the two countries. Stora’s remarks underscore the importance of moving beyond symbolic gestures towards a sustained effort to establish a shared understanding of the colonial past.