French Historian Calls For Facilitating Access To Algerian War Archive

French historian Marc André called for the necessity of easing procedures for accessing French archives related to the colonial period, and that this would avoid accusations of concealing facts related to the war.

The French historian and lecturer at the American University of Rouen-Normandie added, in an interview with the French website “Le Pèlerin”, that the recent decision regarding France’s decision to allow access to files related to minors during the Algerian War cannot be considered a real advance for the archive file, but rather it is a correction – as he said – of the so-called restriction decree which was issued on December 27, 2021, relating to the opening of the Algerian War archive, which was supposed to be opened 15 years ago.

“This is above all a corrective to the so-called “general exemption” decree promulgated in December 2021, which had opened, fifteen years in advance of the legal deadline, the archives produced in the context of cases relating to facts committed in connection with the Algerian War. Practice revealed that many files remained inaccessible in particular to the minority set at the time at 21 years. When I went to the archives with the daughter of an FLN death row inmate who wanted to read the police file and her father’s appeal for clemency, we realized that she needed an exemption: her father was 20 years old and 6 months on the day of his conviction. Likewise, conscientious objectors refusing to go to Algeria, who entered prison at the age of 20, saw their files always closed”, Marc André explained in response to Le Pèlerin journalist Isabelle Marchand about France’s decision on last August 27 to relax access to the archives of the Algerian War by allowing access to files involving minors, and whether this step is considered real progress.

André admitted that the practice revealed that many files remained inaccessible due to their sensitivity, such as the issue of French minors who were transferred to Algeria although they were under 20.

The historian spoke about some cases that he witnessed, including the case of the daughter of an Algerian prisoner sentenced to death, who decided to go to the French archives to refer to the investigation file on rebuilding her father’s network and his attempt to obtain a reduced sentence. Both of these are theoretically available, but they were surprised that this requires an official license on the pretext that he was 20 years and 6 months old on the day of his execution.

Marc André pointed out that despite the repeated intention to open or facilitate access to documents related to this war, in practice it remains difficult for both families and historians.

Whether on the side of the conscripts or the Algerian activists, the people concerned were often very young, the journalist wondered and Marc André responded that; “At the time they were young enough to go to war or be harshly repressed but the 2021 decree intended to protect them: it’s a paradox… I insist on one point: this new decree of August 25, 2023 targets minors who appear in police investigations and legal proceedings, not all minors of the time. With so many fighters or their supporters under the age of 21, the very definition of this war is at stake here. This fix will facilitate research by historians such as master’s or doctoral students who have few months to do this archival work. It’s time-saving and people looking for their family history will be able to do this process more simply: the gradual establishment of a “citizen counter” at the national archives will help them.

Responding to the question if everything is now accessible, he said that “numerous police or justice files are being opened. But two categories remain inaccessible: those whose communication infringes on the privacy of people’s sexual lives or even on the security of easily identifiable people involved in intelligence activities. There is something to be said here too”.

Marc André revealed that the French authorities did not open all the files of the minors, as the files of a large number of them remained confidential and closed, including the minors who refused to go to Algeria and were sent to prison, as well as those who were conscripted in the war against Algeria and whose age was less than 20 years and their number is very large, according to him, this puts the concept of war itself to the test, given that the recruits are young and cannot participate in the war.

He confirmed that the decision to open the minor’s archives allowed only police and justice files to be opened, but it is still difficult to access many files, especially for people who participated in intelligence activities.

Concerning the January 2021 report on memorial reconciliation and the historian Benjamin Stora’s notes about each group of people who were involved in the war and who lived “locked” in their memory, the journalist asked him if easing access to archives can help create bridges. André responded that the “communitarianization of memories” is mainly driven by memory associations whose discourse dominates the public space and generates a memory competition which, in turn, reinforces group boundaries. But so many people are not part of it… Below the dominant voices, the memory landscape is more complex and nuanced. As part of my research on Montluc (prison), I met families of conscripts, liaison agents, messalists (National Algerian Movement led by Messali Hadj) or frontists (Front of National Liberation), members of General Intelligence… in short, people from opposing camps. During the Lyon Biennale last winter, I accompanied an artist, Nicolas Daubanes, in a work of “reconstruction” of the Lyon military tribunal of the 1950s. It was the opportunity for a meeting with the witnesses from opposing sides, at least in the past, and whom I had interviewed for my book. But they spoke easily to each other, far from any “community”. One of them mentioned the “restorative” aspect of this initiative between art and history”.

Asked about the questions linked to memory that are poisoning relations between France and Algeria and how access to archives can contribute to peace, he responded that “the work of a historian is done independently of political injunctions. It opens up new questions, which can tense or calm, and places the debates on more solid scientific bases. Advancing in knowledge also allows us to avoid believing that things are being hidden from us.”

The interview titled “Algerian War: Opening the archives helps us avoid believing that things are being hidden from us” came in the context of the 26th Rendez-vous of History of Blois that is held from October 4 to 8, 2023 on the theme “The living and the dead” to review the recent relaxation of access to French archives dedicated to the Algerian War.