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[Thread] #France will establish a “memories and truth” commission to review its colonial history in #Algeria. This is an important development, which follows other moves to address French colonial legacy. Few comments : https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/world/europe/france-algeria-war-report.html#click=https://t.co/Ahla1u3YIC
This commission will work on the agenda designed by @b_stora, the most respected historian on French-Algerian relations. His proposals are ambitious, concrete & deal both with the domestic impacts of France’s colonisation & the bilateral relations between France & Algeria.
Some issues are related to existing discussions (e.g. archives) and others are newer (e.g. acknowledging assassinations during the battle of Algiers). In several cases it is about historians of both countries working together on a common history.
The point of these proposals, commissioned by the French president, isn’t to end the discussion but rather to launch a detailed process to address all dimensions of French colonial legacy in Algeria.
Creating the « memories & truth » commission follows two other recent moves from French authorities : 1/ the acknowledgment in 2018 of systematic torture and of the assassination of pro-independence activist Maurice Audin (1957). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/13/france-state-responsible-for-1957-death-of-dissident-maurice-audin-in-algeria-says-macron
2/ In July 2020, France returned to Algeria the remains of 24 fighters who were killed resisting French colonial forces in the 19th Century. https://www.france24.com/en/20200703-the-martyrs-are-returning-algeria-welcomes-remains-of-resistance-fighters-from-france
Beyond Algeria, the creation of this commission comes after other significant steps regarding French colonial & imperial legacy:
1/ A similarly commissioned report on the restitution of African artefacts led in 2019 to the restitution to Benin of a royal throne taken by the French army as well as sending back to Senegal a sabre once wielded by a 19th-century Muslim sheik. https://www.france24.com/en/20201007-french-parliament-votes-to-return-stolen-artefacts-to-benin-and-senegal
2/ In 2019 as well, after a consultation process between them and France, a bloc of West African states took a step away from the French-backed regional currency Franc CFA that dates back to the colonial era. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/21/world/africa/west-africa-currency-france-franc.html
In December 2020, the French president also gave an interview where he called for giving more space to colonial history in the French school curriculum & and honour French historical figures related (among other things) to former colonies. https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2020/12/04/le-president-emmanuel-macron-repond-aux-questions-de-brut
On all these dimensions, given the complexity & emotion related to these memories, the approach has been gradual but steady to launch consultations & processes laying out concrete measures. (End)
