Algeria's parliament has unanimously passed a law declaring France's colonization of the North African state a crime, and demanding an apology and reparations. The law also criminalizes the glorification of colonialism, state-run TV reports. The vote is the latest sign of increasingly strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, with some observers saying they are at their lowest since Algeria gained independence 63 years ago.
France's colonization of Algeria between 1830 and 1962 was marked by mass killings, large-scale deportations and ended in a bloody war of independence. Algeria says the war killed 1.5 million people, while French historians put the death toll much lower.
France's President Emmanuel Macron has previously acknowledged that the colonization of Algeria was a crime against humanity but has not offered an apology. Lawmakers wore scarves in the colours of the national flag and chanted long live Algeria as they applauded the bill's passage through parliament, AFP news agency reports. The legislation states that France holds legal responsibility for the tragedies it caused, claiming that full and fair compensation is an inalienable right of the Algerian state and people. Notably, the law comes amid growing pressure on Western nations to offer reparations for colonial injustices and return looted artifacts, including Algeria's long-sought-after 16th Century bronze cannon, Baba Merzoug.
France's colonization of Algeria between 1830 and 1962 was marked by mass killings, large-scale deportations and ended in a bloody war of independence. Algeria says the war killed 1.5 million people, while French historians put the death toll much lower.
France's President Emmanuel Macron has previously acknowledged that the colonization of Algeria was a crime against humanity but has not offered an apology. Lawmakers wore scarves in the colours of the national flag and chanted long live Algeria as they applauded the bill's passage through parliament, AFP news agency reports. The legislation states that France holds legal responsibility for the tragedies it caused, claiming that full and fair compensation is an inalienable right of the Algerian state and people. Notably, the law comes amid growing pressure on Western nations to offer reparations for colonial injustices and return looted artifacts, including Algeria's long-sought-after 16th Century bronze cannon, Baba Merzoug.
