Macron Prevents Publication Of Secret Archives Of French Colonial Army in Algeria

The French government extended the work by a ministerial decree inherited from the former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, that prohibits the publication of the secret defense archives of the French colonial army in Algeria, confirming the falsity of the intentions announced by the current president, Emmanuel Macron, to go to reconciliation with the Algerian memory.

This decision, according to what was reported by the French newspaper “Media Part”, is due to the text issued in 2011, when Nicolas Sarkozy was president of France, which prohibits the lifting of secrecy on documents classified as defense secrets, thus contradicting the law, as this determines the period of secrecy for fifty years only.

According to this procedure, the Associations of Houziet, and Maurice Audin and some French historians appealed against the decision to the State Council, but the French government proceeded with its decision, not indifferent to the demands calling for the opening of the archives related to the heinous practices of the French colonial army in Algeria.

On October 2, 2018, Macron promised to open secret defense archives related to the wars in Algeria and Indochina, when he said: “Many historians have informed me of the difficulties they face in accessing the archives, and in the coming weeks I will respond to the clarifications required from me.” The decision taken by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, woefully reversed this trend,

In 2018, Macron acknowledged the responsibility of the French state for the death of the fighter for the independence of Algeria, mathematician Maurice Audin in 1957, who was assassinated during the National Liberation War, by French soldiers while in custody.

In the same statement, which was delivered personally to Josette Audin, the latter’s widow, the French head of state also acknowledged the existence of a system of torture that resulted in many other victims.

Macron followed his admission by announcing the opening of the archives for all the disappeared from the war in Algeria, saying: “The work of memory does not end with this declaration. This declaration aims in particular to encourage historical work on all those who disappeared from the war in Algeria, from the French and the Algerians, including civilians and soldiers”.

The French governmental text, IGI 1.300, was banned in December 2011, prohibiting access to documents stamped with the Secret Defense Seal, even though the law states that they can be reported if they are more than 50 years old.

In December 2019, the SGDSN asked archivists to strictly implement Article 63 of the French Government Law IGI 1.300, and according to this text, archivists are obliged to conduct a preliminary screening before reporting the sealed documents in order to raise the confidentiality of the issuing institution, which is in most cases. sometimes for the army.

This decision comes at a time when Algerian-French relations are experiencing one of their worst periods, marked by Algerian criticism of Paris, and French strikes under the table that emerged through the recent malicious European Union resolution against Algeria coupled by the hideous statements of some non-governmental organizations, which were firmly denounced by the Government spokesman, Communication Minister Ammar Belhimer.

This decision would impede the mission of Benjamin Stora, who was assigned by the French President to tackle the memory file with the Algerian side, represented in the person of the Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Chikhi, who had hinted at the difficulty of the task entrusted to him.