Benjamin Stora To “Echorouk”: “The Fire of Memory Cannot Be Extinguished By A Mere Decision.”

French historian Benjamin Stora expressed his regret that what he described as “the emotional dimension is still strongly present, both in discourse and in the language used.” This was in his comment on the recent developments in Algerian-French relations and the gradual resumption of dialogue between Algeria and France, following the visit of French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to Algeria on February 16 and 17.

Mr. Stora, speaking to “Echorouk,” proceeded to deconstruct the aforementioned “emotional dimension,” which for him is “feelings stemming from the long period of colonialism, pain, and emotions that constantly clash with relations that were supposed to be clear, i.e., state-to-state.

The recurring events, sudden developments, sharp statements, and various campaigns all continue to disrupt Algerian-French relations.” He concluded that all this “will leave traces, but it will not, in my estimation, prevent the resumption of dialogue between the two countries.”

Laurent Nuñez had stated in a brief speech after being received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on February 17 that he was “happy and satisfied” with his visit to Algeria. This came after his right-wing predecessor, Bruno Retailleau, during his tenure as Interior Minister, launched a campaign against Algeria, supported by the far-right and some media outlets, especially those belonging to billionaire Vincent Bolloré.

Mr. Stora, a respected figure in France and Algeria, enumerated in his statement to “Echorouk” the factors that contributed, from the French side, to the recent relative détente in the relationship between Algeria and Paris. He said: “The year was difficult, as Algerians felt there was a strong hostile campaign against them.

Discussions that disrupted the calm relationship that France is supposed to have with a large country like Algeria followed one after another. However, the visit of French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to Algeria relaunched the dialogue, which refutes the arguments in France calling for a severance of relations between the two countries. I believe the discussions revolved around issues of immigration and security.”

Since independence, relations between Algeria and Paris have witnessed periodic tensions, even if the crisis that began in 2024, as described by the writer and former French minister Azouz Begag in a previous interview with “Echorouk,” is a “serious crisis, different from its predecessors, because it will leave scars.”

Regarding the necessary conditions for building a calm and balanced long-term relationship from the French side, Mr. Benjamin Stora says: “In France, attention should be paid to how the history of formerly colonized countries is dealt with. This does not only concern Algeria, but also the attitudes of young people in other African countries who reject all forms of neo-colonialism. Therefore, building a calm relationship requires establishing the principle of mutual respect.”

Mr. Benjamin Stora heads, from the French side, the Algerian-French Memory Committee, on the colonial period (1830-1962). This committee consists of ten members (five Algerian historians and five French historians) and aims to address the files of the French colonial era fairly. It had met several times in this context since its launch in August 2022, but its activities stopped in the summer of 2024 due to the diplomatic crisis between Algeria and France.

In response to “Echorouk’s” question about the possibility of activating the committee in the near future, the French historian replied, “Why not?” before adding: “But a fire of memory of this magnitude cannot be extinguished by a single measure or a single decision. It is a major undertaking, barely begun, and new generations of researchers in France and Algeria must take charge of it in the coming years.”

Algeria demands that France officially acknowledge the horrendous crimes committed against Algerians during the somber colonial period and explicitly apologize for them, return the original national archives, maps of French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, and hundreds of skulls of Algerian resistance fighters stored in the basements of French museums.