What Is The Secret Behind Declassifying The Algerian Revolution’s Archives?

The French authorities’ decision to declassify the archives of the “judicial investigations”, which took place during the liberation revolution against French colonialism, raised several questions about the background of this decision, which came in a highly sensitive circumstance.

The French decision came two days after the visit of the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian to Algeria, after more than two months of a severe diplomatic crisis between the two countries, against the background of the uncalculated statements of the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

Observers read the French move as a “manoeuvre” to achieve undeclared goals, and specialized circles linked this decision to the frantic race between candidates affiliated with the right and the extreme right, for the presidential elections in France.

The Algerian historian Mohamed Amine Belghith, who specializes in historical relations between Algeria and France, told Echorouk; “the French move is considered a manoeuvre that must be dealt with in great caution, because of its seemingly invisible goals, but in fact, it is tightly woven to achieve purposes that serve France, and do not serve Algeria’s national interest”.

The French Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot, announced the French government’s decision to declassify the archives of the “judicial investigations”.

“I announce the opening of the archive of judicial investigations by the gendarmerie and police forces about the war in Algeria 15 years earlier”, Bachelot told BFMTV on Thursday, December, 9, about Algeria’s historical and victorious liberation revolution between 1954 and 1962.

If the French step appears to be very daring given the criminal colonial past of the practices of the French occupation in Algeria, as it is considered a window towards the exposure of the crimes of the colonial army, and “the beginning of looking at the truth directly”, according to the French official, however, it nonetheless carries risks, such as distortion of some revolutionary icons, especially the heroic martyr, Larbi Ben M’hidi.

Mohamed Amine Belghith explained; “First, one thing should be emphasized, which is that the last French decision concerns one issue, which is the judicial follow-up to the patriots, and this is studied by the French judges who lived through that stage. It is assumed that the opening of the archive related to the judicial follow-up to the patriots during the Algerian revolution will be in the year 2039. And the Harkis’ file in 2045… but why did the French authorities announce the opening of the Harkis file before the archives?”.

“What is certain is that the French will not make any decision except according to calculations, so I think that the last decision has no aim other than to confuse the Algerians. You know that since independence until today two generations did not participate in the revolution…”, the historian, who spent five years studying at the French Sorbonne University, added.

The well-known historian thinks that: “The French, through their last decision, want to spoil the narrative that we have regarding some revolutionary personalities who in the memory of the Algerians are close to the degree of holiness. The file of Larbi Ben M’hidi in the French archives depicts the martyr as a perverted person, while the man was one of the few people who showed integrity and steadfastness. The same is true about the freedom fighter, Abane Ramdane, who is presented poorly even if his image is quite the opposite”.

Belghith believes that the French authorities, in light of the electoral campaign for the French presidency, are looking for a way to mix the Algerians’ cards. I studied at the Sorbonne and know them well. They are better at sorting and arranging files… and they are manipulating files for the sake of psychological warfare only”.

The historian wondered whether the recent French decision would release the archive of the Johnson network trials and the trials of Koudia; “we must be careful, and then be careful when reading the documents that were revealed”, ruling out that the decision aims to enable Algerians from the archives of the revolution, otherwise the researchers would not be deprived of Visas that enable them to access the archives located in France.