Algeria's lower house is debating a draft law that would criminalise French colonial rule from 1830 to 1962 and seek legal redress, official recognition and an apology for colonial-era crimes. The draft reportedly contains five chapters and 27 articles and is framed around international-law principles and historical justice. Speaker Ibrahim Boughali called the bill a sovereign and moral milestone. The move arrives amid broader diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France over Western Sahara and recent arrests in Paris.
Algeria Moves to Criminalise French Colonial Rule (1830–1962) — What the Draft Law Says
Algerian politicians walk outside the People's National Assembly in Algiers [File: Ryad Kramdi/AFP]
Lawmakers in Algeria’s lower house have opened debate on a draft law that would criminalise France’s colonial rule between 1830 and 1962, the People’s National Assembly announced. The bill, introduced on Saturday and reported to be due for a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, seeks legal redress, official recognition and an apology for colonial-era crimes.
What The Draft Law Proposes
According to public broadcaster AL24 News, the draft comprises five chapters and 27 articles and is framed around "the principles of international law that affirm peoples’ right to legal redress" and the pursuit of "historical justice." Supporters say the law aims to "establish responsibility, secure recognition and an apology for crimes of colonialism as a foundation for reconciliation with history and the protection of national memory."
"This is not just a legal text but a defining milestone in the course of modern Algeria," Speaker Ibrahim Boughali said, calling the bill "a supreme act of sovereignty, a clear moral stance, and an unambiguous political message."
Boughali added that colonisation extended beyond plunder to policies of systematic impoverishment, starvation and exclusion designed to break the will of the Algerian people and erase identities and cultural ties.
Historical Context
France governed Algeria from 1830 until independence in 1962 after a brutal war of independence that lasted from 1954 to 1962. During that conflict, French forces have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, including systematic torture, summary executions and enforced disappearances. Some estimates place Algerian deaths related to the war and related violence as high as 1.5 million, with millions displaced; estimates vary and remain contested.
In recent years France has acknowledged responsibility for certain abuses committed during the war. In 2018, French authorities recognised the systematic use of torture in the conflict and accepted responsibility for specific cases, a step that advocates said fell short of a full formal apology for colonial rule.
Diplomatic Implications
The parliamentary initiative comes amid strained Algeria–France relations. Tensions rose after Paris recognised Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara in July 2024 — a move Algeria opposes because it supports the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and backs the Polisario Front. Relations were further strained in April when an Algerian diplomat and two Algerian nationals were arrested in Paris, triggering a diplomatic crisis shortly after leaders from both countries had pledged to resume dialogue.
Next Steps
The bill will face a vote in the People’s National Assembly. If approved, it could prompt legal, diplomatic and symbolic responses from France and other international actors, and would focus renewed attention on how former colonial powers and their former colonies address historical injustices.
