Emmanuel Macron expresses the recognition of the French State to the returnees from Algeria
French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting with representatives of the families of those repatriated from Algeria in 1962 at the Elysee Palace in Paris, January 26, 2022. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN
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Emmanuel Macron sent a strong gesture this Wednesday to the French who had to leave Algeria at the time of its independence.
The French president has acknowledged that two massacres were committed by the French army after the signing of the Évian Accords in 1962.
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Emmanuel Macron continues his efforts to "appease" the memories of the Algerian war with a strong gesture addressed to the black peids as the 60th anniversary of the end of this conflict which continues to divide the French approaches.
The Head of State returned to the shooting in the rue d'Isly, in Algiers, in which dozens of supporters of French Algeria were killed by the army on March 26,
1962
.
French soldiers deployed against purpose, badly commanded, fired on a crowd of French people who were demonstrating
(...)
That day, it was a massacre
”, he declared, adding that “
60 years later
” this "
drama passed over in silence
", "
France recognizes this tragedy
".
Emmanuel Macron spoke of an "
unforgivable gesture for the Republic
".
This is the first time that this massacre has been officially condemned at the highest level of the state.
He also assured that the French archives on this tragedy can be consulted and studied freely.
►
To read also: War of Algeria: the early opening of the archives recorded in France
Recognize the "massacre of July 5, 1962" in Oran
Referring to the "
atrocious escalation of insecurity and violence
", "
attacks and assassinations
" which punctuated the end of the war in Algeria, the President of the Republic also urged to recognize and "
look in the face
" the "
massacre of July 5, 1962
" in Oran, which affected "
hundreds of Europeans, mainly French
". “
This massacre must be (…) recognized
”, he decided. "
The truth must be in place and the story passed
on," insisted the head of state.
His long-awaited speech was listened to with seriousness by a hundred people gathered in the village hall of the Élysée, including returnees, descendants, historians and three mayors of towns in the south of France which had hosted a number of between them in 1962. Emmanuel Macron underlined the difficulties which hit thousands of families on their return to the metropolis, ranging from incomprehension to contempt, to indifference to prejudice.
►
To read also: Algeria, the long road to independence
For a "
recognition” of the Pieds-noirs
The French president pleaded for a "
recognition
" of the Pieds-noirs which is part of a series of memorial acts since the beginning of the quinquennium and as the 60th anniversary of the end of the Algerian war with the Accords approaches. of Evian and then the independence of this country on July 5, 1962.
On September 20, 2021, Emmanuel Macron
asked "forgiveness" to the harkis
, Algerian auxiliaries to the French army, who were "
abandoned
" by France.
A bill, recording this "
pardon
" and attempting to "
repair
" the damage suffered, is currently being examined in Parliament and should be adopted by the end of February.
►
To listen also: Memories of the Algerian war: silences and unsaid in the families
(
With
AFP
)
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