Algeria’s Senate Seeks Revisions to Law Declaring French Colonization a Crime

Algeria’s Senate has requested revisions to a law declaring France’s 1830–1962 colonization a crime, creating a legislative dispute after the lower house demanded an apology and reparations. The disagreement centers on financial compensation, while President Tebboune emphasizes formal recognition over money. The law lists colonial-era crimes and contested death tolls, escalating tensions with France, which has not issued a formal apology despite acknowledging colonization as a “crime against humanity.”

Algeria’s Senate has called for revisions to a landmark law that formally declares France’s colonization of the country from 1830 to 1962 a crime, sparking a legislative dispute that comes just weeks after the lower house of parliament unanimously passed the bill demanding an apology and reparations from Paris. The lower house had voted on December 24 to classify colonization as a crime, affirming France’s “legal responsibility” for the actions committed during its rule. However, the Senate raised objections to certain provisions in the legislation, particularly those dealing with financial compensation, which has led to the creation of a joint committee tasked with reconciling the text. Under Algerian parliamentary procedures, the Senate does not have the authority to directly amend legislation, making the committee the key mechanism for resolving the dispute.
The disagreement reflects the nuanced position of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who has emphasized that Algeria is “not tempted by money” and that the country seeks formal recognition of the crimes committed during colonization rather than direct financial restitution. This stance has shaped the debates in parliament and has been a key point in negotiations between the two chambers of the legislature. The issue has also intensified diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France, which were already strained due to France’s endorsement of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. In response to the legislation, Paris condemned the law as “clearly hostile,” signaling that it views the bill as an escalation of historical and political disputes rather than a purely symbolic gesture.
The proposed legislation outlines a series of colonial-era crimes, including nuclear tests conducted in Algerian territory, extrajudicial killings, torture, and systematic exploitation of the country’s natural and human resources. The text asserts that full and fair compensation for these acts remains an “inalienable right” of the Algerian people, reflecting a broader effort to address historical injustices that have long shaped the nation’s collective memory. At the same time, the law references deeply contested historical figures, claiming that the war of independence resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million Algerians. French historians dispute this number, estimating total deaths at approximately 500,000, including around 400,000 Algerians.
Although French President Emmanuel Macron has previously acknowledged colonization as a “crime against humanity,” France has not issued a formal apology, leaving decades of unresolved trauma and historical grievances. The ongoing legislative process in Algeria underscores the country’s determination to assert its historical narrative, seek recognition of past injustices, and establish accountability for a period that continues to shape political and social relations between Algeria and France. As the joint committee works to reconcile the Senate and lower house versions of the law, the broader diplomatic implications remain significant, highlighting how history, memory, and politics intersect in contemporary North African-European relations.