Algeria: President Tebboune wants "all the light" on those who disappeared from the war of independence

On the eve of the 60th anniversary of Algeria's independence, he calls for the truth.

This Friday, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune demanded, on the occasion of the Victory Day, "all the light" on the missing during the war of independence (1954-1962).

"The effort continues to shed light on the fate of the disappeared during our war of liberation and for the compensation of the victims of nuclear tests", he wrote in a message published for the anniversary date of the ceasefire. the fire on March 19, 1962 after a war of independence of almost eight years with France.

These events "do not erase the history of nations by prescription", warned the Algerian president about the memorial files.

According to Algiers, more than 2,200 people disappeared during the war of independence.

Europeans were also reported missing during the conflict.

At the end of January, the French historian Benjamin Stora had to defend his report on the memorial reconciliation between the two countries which had caused controversy on both sides of the Mediterranean.

Macron has already engaged in symbolic acts

The Algerian authorities also want to put back on the table the file of French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara.

France, which colonized Algeria from 1830 to 1962, carried out a total of 17 nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara between 1960 and 1966.

Eleven of them, all underground, are subsequent to the Evian Agreements of 1962, which confirmed the independence of Algeria, but a clause allowed France to use the sites of the Sahara until 1967.

Not long ago, French President Emmanuel Macron launched a series of “symbolic acts” in order to “reconcile memories” between French and Algerians.

Last July, France handed over to Algiers 24 skulls of nationalist fighters killed at the start of colonization.

Algeria, via its president, then wished for an apology from France for its colonial past.

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Recognition of the assassination of Ali Boumendjel: 5 minutes to understand this historic step

In addition, Emmanuel Macron recently acknowledged "in the name of France", that the lawyer and nationalist leader Ali Boumendjel had been "tortured and assassinated" by the French army in 1957. An assassination disguised at the time as suicide.

The French president also decided to facilitate access to classified archives over 50 years old, in particular those on the Algerian war.

The Algerian head of state praised "the positive steps taken, in particular the recovery of the skulls of the popular Resistance".

"Our attachment to the preservation of our history and our memory will remain at the heart of our priorities", he promised, stressing "the responsibility of the State in taking charge of this file".