Benjamin Stora: “No reconciliation between France and Algeria except under these conditions”

French historian Benjamin Stora criticized the channel “France 2” which hosted him on the program “Complément d’enquête” last January to discuss Algerian-French relations, then condensed his long interview, which focused on history and memory, into a report about an influencer.
According to Stora in media statements, he was invited to speak about the historical relations between Algeria and France, historical traumas, and ways of reconciliation between the two countries, explaining that the discussion was supposed to include the War of Liberation, French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, and the effects of colonialism on modern generations.

The historian denounced that his interview, filmed at the “Musée de l’Homme” (Museum of Man), in front of the skulls of Algerian resistance fighters executed during the French occupation, was reduced to a few seconds in favor of a report about an “influencer” on social media platforms, describing this action as a serious breach of journalistic ethics and “a tree hiding the forest of colonialism.”

Stora appears in a widely circulated video, confronting the presenter, strongly rejecting attempts to confine the discussion to the issue of an influencer. He expressed his displeasure at what he considered an insult to his academic and professional standing, explaining in a sharp tone that he did not come to talk about the lives of influencers, but rather came based on a prior agreement to discuss the deep and painful issues of memory between the two countries.

The historian affirmed that reconciliation between France and Algeria can only be achieved through acknowledging colonial crimes and addressing historical memory files in an objective and serious manner, warning that media focus on scandals or influencers could lead to missing the opportunity to seriously confront the colonial past.

Stora concluded his statements regretfully: “They called me to talk about history and memory, not about an influencer,” a clear message that Algerian-French relations require historical courage and genuine frankness, away from preoccupation with superficial topics.

These statements came during Stora’s media interventions this February, including his appearance on “France Info,” where he called on French media to “raise their standards” and stop engaging in “frenzy” campaigns targeting Algeria through their platforms.

It is worth noting that Mr. Benjamin Stora is one of the most prominent French historians specializing in the history of colonialism and the Algerian War. He has dedicated his academic career to studying the profound consequences of the historical relationship between France and Algeria and attempting to provide solutions for reconciliation between the two parties.

Stora affirmed in numerous statements and media interviews that the current crisis between Paris and Algiers is “the most serious since independence” due to diplomatic stagnation and the accumulation of political and memory crises.

Stora’s report, submitted to President Emmanuel Macron on January 20, 2021, recommended concrete steps towards reconciliation between France and Algeria.

These recommendations included the return of important Algerian artifacts, such as Emir Abdelkader’s sword and Baba Merzoug’s cannon, and continuing to identify the skulls preserved in French museums.

Five years later, most of these recommendations have not been implemented, reflecting the deterioration of French-Algerian relations to their lowest levels.