Criminalisation of French rule discussed in Algerian parliament
The Algerian Parliament began discussions surrounding a draft law aiming to criminalise French colonial governance between 1830 and 1962 on 20th December, according to a statement by The Peoples National Assembly, Middle East Eye has reported on December 20th
The proposals have come after Arican leaders met in Algiers on 30th November and called for the recognition of colonial era crimes from European empires.
Speaker Ibrahim Boughal was permitted to formally unveil the draft during a plenary session of the lower house, according to the statement.
Boughal labelled the bill as greater than a legislative measure, describing it as a critical moment in modern Algerian history which reaffirms state dedication to the rights of the populations past and present, he said in an address to lawmakers.
“This session is not a routine parliamentary procedure; rather, it is a supreme act of sovereignty…., expressing Algeria’s commitment to its inalienable rights and its loyalty to the sacrifices of its people and the message of its martyrs,” The Speaker said.
He characterised Frances’s colonisation of his country as a draconian regime designed to destroy the culture and livelihoods of the native people.
“This colonial project was not limited to the plundering of wealth; it also extended to policies of systematic impoverishment, starvation, and exclusion aimed at breaking the will of the Algerian people, erasing their identity, and severing their ties to their historical and cultural roots,” he added.
Members of Parliament will vote on the proposed law on 24th December, beside several other legislative proposals.
Relations between the two countries are currently fraught with tension following France’s recognition of Morocco’s autonomy plan to resolve the Western Sahara conflict.
The Algerian government has defended the civil liberties of the Sahrawi peoples and voiced support for the Polisario Front, which rejects Moroccan proposals.
Algeria have accused Morocco of pushing its agenda “by force” in the conflict.
Middle East Eye, Maghrebi.org
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