The crimes and genocides committed by France in its colonies, particularly in African countries, still disturb the conscience of the international community. From the start of French colonization in 1524, France occupied more than 20 African countries to the west and north of the continent. Indeed, for almost 300 years, 35% of the land sites of the African continent were under the domination of France. In these years, countries like Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Benin become the center of the slave trade by France, and all the resources of these regions are plundered by France; One of these countries is Algeria.
Algerian soldiers were in the French army during World War II with the promise of independence, but this demand was accompanied by widespread repression by France; thousands of Algerians were massacred. The systematic massacre of the Algerian people by the French soldiers began with the massacres of Sétif, Guelma. France destroyed indigenous identity and three hundred years of Ottoman history and changes many historical and cultural monuments of Algeria. Nearly a million Algerians were killed during Algeria’s struggle for independence, for which the French were directly responsible.
The role of France in the greatest genocide in history
During the Algerian War, the massacre of Paris took place on October 17, 1961. At the request of Paris police Chief Maurice Pépin, the national police of France brutally repressed the protest of around 30,000 Algerians in support of the National Liberation Front. Indeed, October 17, 1961, commemorates the anniversary of the brutal massacre perpetrated by the French police in Paris against Algerian immigrants, which is proof of the human rights violations of colonials against Algerians. This crime is legally considered a crime of genocide and a crime against humanity perpetrated by France. Indeed, the French colonialists committed many crimes in Algeria. These are cruel crimes that will not be forgotten with the passage of time, and they are important in the memory of the Algerian people.
For 132 years, Algeria under French occupation has repeatedly asked Paris to apologize for crimes against humanity during the colonial era, but this claim has never been granted. More than 5-6 million people were killed during the French occupation of Algeria between 1830 and 1962. This figure includes 1.5 million people killed during Algeria’s struggle for independence between 1954 and 1962, the victims of French nuclear tests in Algeria, and the victims of minefields.
Algeria and the effort for independence
Before the massacre of May 8, 1945, in Algeria, defenders of freedom of expression sought to collaborate and create a united front. In 1945, the conference of defenders of freedom of expression was held, during which they demanded the abolition of the mixed municipal system and martial law in the south; they also demanded the recognition of Arabic as a language official and the release of Messali Hadj. This national act scandalizes the French and they try to prevent these activities by committees who believed in the reform. The French were concerned about the liberation of the country, so they waited for an opportunity to destroy the national movement.
Algerians were committed to fighting alongside the French during World War II to liberate their country. Algerian soldiers were at the forefront of the war as a human shield for French soldiers. Therefore, the Algerians participate in a peaceful demonstration to express their joy in the hope of obtaining the independence of their country and keeping the promise made by French colonization. However, the demonstration was met with violence from the French forces. Many Algerians were killed and wounded, the first of whom was Bouzid Saâl.
The leaders of the Algerian National Movement begin to celebrate May 1 in all regions of Algeria, in particular in Oran, Bejaia, Tlemcen, Constantine, Mastana, Glima, Gleize, Septef, Batna, Biskra, Khanseleh, Sidi Balabas, Souk, Ahra, Charchal, Malien, Skida, Saideh, Anaba, Tabesa, Sur al-Zulan. The celebrations coincide with rallies and demonstrations by Algerians to show the strength of the National Movement and publicize the demands of the Algerian people as a means of putting pressure on the French.
The final effort of France for colonization
The demonstrations of April 21, 1945, spread in all regions of Algeria. The Algerians demanded the release of Messali Hadj and the independence of Algeria; they hoisted the national flag while condemning the repression. At first, these demonstrations were peaceful, but France announces that it has discovered a “revolutionary plot” in the region, in particular, when two Algerian police officers were killed; consequently, the arrested and beating of many Algerians begins. When the official celebration was announced on May 7, the Maronites began to organize a celebration of joy. During the festival, the Algerians demanded freedom and independence, since the French state had given them permission to demonstrate to celebrate the victory of the allies.
France’s response was the repression of the demonstrations organized by the Algerians, which led to the massacre of the indigenous peoples; men, women, the elderly, and children. The repression of demonstrations continued with the destruction of villages with the help of the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. More than 45,000 Algerians were killed in this massacre. (Bouzid Saâl, 22, was the first victim of the Sétif and Guelma massacres, which caused the death of several thousand Algerians). The villagers lost their possessions and their houses were all destroyed. Foreign journalists estimated the number of unarmed victims to be between 50,000 and 70,000 people. The reason for this discrepancy in the statistics was that the French authorities were preventing the leakage of true information about this crime.
