The shared memory file between Algeria and France has been stuck for decades, despite Algeria's willingness to settle the issue with flexibility and equality. However, France's approach continues to collide with a deep-rooted complex of superiority among French authorities, turning diplomatic, historical, and academic efforts into mere "small steps politics" that lack political courage and insist on dealing with colonial crimes with a superior attitude that equates the victim and the executioner.
This French superiority is evident in several key areas that reveal the gap between diplomatic discourse and actual practice on the ground. France still clings to its "policy of fragmented recognition" or "selective acknowledgments," such as recognizing the abduction and assassination of lawyer Ali Boumendjel or mathematician Maurice Audin, but it sets a red line against providing a formal, comprehensive, and international apology to the Algerian state.
France has not fully shed its colonial mentality, which legitimizes a superior view of its bloody colonial legacy in Algeria. The February 23, 2005 law, which highlighted the "positive role of French presence in North Africa," sparked controversy, but its continued influence on French political elites confirms that Paris still views its past as a "civilizing and modernizing movement," a peak of superiority in denying peoples' right to freedom and sovereignty.
The French National Archives, looted by French military leaders, remain a crucial piece of evidence of France's desire to conceal the truth. France imposes strict legal and bureaucratic restrictions, citing "national security" and defense secrets, to prevent Algerian historians from accessing vital documents and major files, reflecting a desire to retain the right to "direct the historical narrative" and shape it from a unilateral French perspective.
France has left a deadly radioactive legacy in the Algerian Sahara, particularly in the regions of Reggane and In Ekker, which continues to affect generations. However, France deals with this issue through clear evasion, refusing to provide comprehensive environmental remediation and compensation to Algerian victims. The so-called "Moran law" for compensation has been set with restrictive conditions that make it nearly impossible for Algerians to receive compensation.
Instead of addressing the memory file as a standalone moral and historical issue, French authorities are subject to internal political pressures from the right and far-right. This has led to the use of "loss of supremacy" in French electoral campaigns to exploit official positions, making any historical rapprochement hostage to narrow partisan interests and reflecting Paris's inability to break free from its colonial past.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's statements have shown a firm determination not to subject the memory file to seasonal maneuvers. Algeria reiterates that the memory file is not negotiable or renounceable, emphasizing that building normal relations with France requires dealing with these issues with complete historical courage and bravery. Analysts believe that France's attempts to adopt a "memory reconciliation" approach without explicit recognition and fair compensation will collide with Algeria's firm stance.
Key points
- France's colonial legacy remains a significant obstacle in relations with Algeria
- Algeria demands a formal apology and compensation from France for its colonial crimes
- France's inability to confront its colonial past hampers its relations with Algeria
