Legislators in Algeria voted to declare France’s colonization of the North African country a crime
Algerian legislators have declared France's colonization a crime, demanding restitution for property taken during its 130-year rule
ByThe Associated Press
December 25, 2025, 5:10 AM ET
ALGIERS, Algeria -- Legislators in Algeria voted to declare France’s colonization of the North African country a crime, approving a law that calls for restitution of property taken by France during its 130-year rule, among other demands seeking to redress historical wrongs.
France slammed the law as a “hostile act” threatening bilateral efforts to heal wounds of the past. The two countries retain close cultural and economic ties but have troubled diplomatic relations
In a solemn ceremony steeped in symbolism, 340 of 407 members of Algeria’s National Assembly voted late Wednesday to approve the law. The move came just a few weeks after African countries made a collective resolution for recognition and reparations for colonial-era crimes.
The law covers the period from the landing of King Charles X’s army on the beaches of Sidi Ferruch west of Algiers in 1830 to July 5, 1962, the date of Algeria’s official independence.
The text provides for the restitution of Algerian archives and property moved to France during the colonial period, and the transmission to Algiers of detailed maps of French nuclear tests conducted in Algeria from 1960 to 1966. It also calls for the repatriation of the remains of some Algerian resistance fighters taken to France.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/algeria-votes-declare-french-colonization-crime-demands-restitution-128691093
ByThe Associated Press
December 25, 2025, 5:10 AM ET
ALGIERS, Algeria -- Legislators in Algeria voted to declare France’s colonization of the North African country a crime, approving a law that calls for restitution of property taken by France during its 130-year rule, among other demands seeking to redress historical wrongs.
France slammed the law as a “hostile act” threatening bilateral efforts to heal wounds of the past. The two countries retain close cultural and economic ties but have troubled diplomatic relations
In a solemn ceremony steeped in symbolism, 340 of 407 members of Algeria’s National Assembly voted late Wednesday to approve the law. The move came just a few weeks after African countries made a collective resolution for recognition and reparations for colonial-era crimes.
The law covers the period from the landing of King Charles X’s army on the beaches of Sidi Ferruch west of Algiers in 1830 to July 5, 1962, the date of Algeria’s official independence.
The text provides for the restitution of Algerian archives and property moved to France during the colonial period, and the transmission to Algiers of detailed maps of French nuclear tests conducted in Algeria from 1960 to 1966. It also calls for the repatriation of the remains of some Algerian resistance fighters taken to France.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/algeria-votes-declare-french-colonization-crime-demands-restitution-128691093
