Benjamin Stora Reopens Burning File of France’s Horrendous Colonial Crimes in Algeria

The French historian Mr. Benjamin Stora, last Sunday evening, advocated for France to acknowledge its heinous colonial crimes in Algeria, particularly the unspeakable massacres committed against Algerians, a chapter that some circles in the French political class are trying to cast doubt on, according to him.

During his statement on AL24news, the French historian, who had previously been attacked by the French far-right and those nostalgic for “French Algeria” due to his writings and anti-colonial stances on the issue of memory, explained that new bridges must be built between the two shores through work on history.

He recalled the initiative launched by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which involves establishing the joint Algerian-French Committee for History and Memory.

Speaking about the chronological sequence of France’s horrific colonial period in Algeria (1830-1962), the French historian mentioned that it was characterized by the seizure of Algerian lands, the looting of their wealth, and the commission of massacres against them, describing these as crimes against humanity. He expressed regret that these facts “do not exist in French school textbooks.”
While adding that “France remained silent” regarding this tragic period, Mr. Stora emphasized the necessity of “rewriting this history so that it becomes accessible to the French.” In this regard, he pointed to the importance of the archives issue, which “should be available to researchers and historians from both sides.”

The same historian also addressed the attacks he faced from some political circles in France, especially from the far-right, which seeks to cast doubt on France’s somber colonial past and its horrendous crimes in Algeria.

These, Mr. Stora said, are “those who did not want to hear anything about the appalling massacres committed against Algerians, nor about the nuclear tests…”

He concluded by saying: “Now we must see what we can do to set things right and reveal the truth about the brutal French occupation of Algeria.”

Amidst the escalation launched by the far-right against Algeria and the approval of the 1968 agreement resolution, the advisor to the Élysée Palace for memory affairs had warned against the nefarious repercussions of any undermining this agreement on the bilateral relations between the two countries, which are experiencing unprecedented levels of tension.

Mr. Stora also underlined that the statements issued by the far-right and its allies, which aim to mislead French public opinion that the 1968 agreement provides exclusive privileges to Algerian nationals, are merely “political fantasy.”