Bouteflika: “Recovering black feet’s properties was legitimate”

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Monday said recovering properties of black feet who left Algeria after its independence was legitimate.

“Algeria took legitimate measures to recover individual and collective properties which became vacant after the independence. This was part of its national sovereignty and the State’s property,” said Bouteflika in a message to the Algerian people on the 54th independence anniversary.

“This measure became an integral part of the legislation of our modern State. It came as part of what the colonization did in the 1940’s to the properties of the sons of our country,” he added.

He also said the national sovereignty priority was immediately concretized through historic successive decisions regarding agricultural lands, mine resources, local financial system and the gradual elimination of foreign military presence.

Bouteflika’s remarks came as an attempt to close the issue of compensation claimed by the black feet and the French government’s endeavours in this regard.