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Algerian Genocide
Algerian President: France Committed Genocide in Algeria
* "More than 1,5 Million Algerians were massacred under the French rule"
Jan SOYKOK (JTW) - Algeria's president Abdelaziz Bouteflika has said that French colonization of his country Algeria was a form of genocide. In memoirs, some French officers have described torture of Algerians during the war, however France has never accepted its responsibility in tortures and massacres in Algeria. Paris says that the past should be left to historians. More than 1,5 million Algerians were massacred under the French rule.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika underwent medical checks in a top French military hospital on Thursday. "The Algerian president has been admitted to the Val de Grace hospital for a medical check-up," a French diplomatic source said after the defense and foreign ministries had initially declined to comment on his presence. Some in France consider the visit as scandal because Mr. President accuse the French of committing a genocide. "This wasn't only a genocide against the Algerian people but also a genocide against Algerian identity," Algerian President said.
The Algerian president Bouteflika said in a speech this week: "We no longer know whether we are Berbers (indigenous North Africans), Arabs, Europeans or French". France committed a "genocide of Algerian identity" during the colonial era, he said.
Bouteflika also said "Colonisation brought the genocide of our identity, of our history, of our language, of our traditions."
French-Algerian relations had been tenser since France passed a law last year requiring textbooks to show the "positive role" the country played in its former colonies.
The law was an embarrassment for the government, and President Jacques Chirac said in January that it should be revamped.
Observers said the law had stalled and possibly even scuppered a French-Algerian friendship treaty that was originally planned for 2005, and Bouteflika had used tougher language about France since the law was passed. Algerian President Bouteflika had equated France's law with "mental blindness" and revisionist history.
Algeria first became a colony of France in 1830. After a disasterous war which ended in Algeria's independence in 1962, eight million Algerian residents were deprived of French nationality and hundreds of thousands of 'pieds noir' (French who settled in Algeria and were re-patriated at the end of the war) were forced home to a place which was not home.
President Bouteflika's latest outburst has further strained Algerian-French relations which have been tense since France passed a law last year requiring textbooks to show the 'positive role' that the Republique played in its former colonies. The law was an embarassment for French president Jacques Chirac who said in January that it should be revamped.
The response from Paris to this latest bilateral crisis has been tardy. French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has been to Algiers for talks with the Algerian government. He concluded in an interview with RMC radio of Monaco that despite the two countries having "an exceptional partnership" there was a "need to examine the pages of history... which are sad". Howevwe he did not touch the issue of Genocide.
Far right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen (himself with a dubious history of service in the Algerian war) reacted furiously. Responding to news that Bouteflika had checked into Paris' Val de Grace hospital for a follow-up on an operation he had in December, Le Pen said that it was "scandalous" that Bouteflika should accuse France of genocide, and then be looked after in Paris straight afterwards.
Algeria last year called on France to apologise for crimes committed during the colonial era. Bouteflika also urged Paris to admit its part in the massacres of 45,000 Algerians who took to the streets to demand independence as Europe celebrated victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. French authorities then responded by playing down the comments, urging "mutual respect". The 1954-1962 war of independence cost the lives of 1.5 million Algerians, according to the Algiers government.
Jan Soykok, JTW
20 April 2006
Thursday , 20 April 2006
Doppelmoral Doppelmoral Doppelmoral
Algerian President: France Committed Genocide in Algeria
* "More than 1,5 Million Algerians were massacred under the French rule"
Jan SOYKOK (JTW) - Algeria's president Abdelaziz Bouteflika has said that French colonization of his country Algeria was a form of genocide. In memoirs, some French officers have described torture of Algerians during the war, however France has never accepted its responsibility in tortures and massacres in Algeria. Paris says that the past should be left to historians. More than 1,5 million Algerians were massacred under the French rule.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika underwent medical checks in a top French military hospital on Thursday. "The Algerian president has been admitted to the Val de Grace hospital for a medical check-up," a French diplomatic source said after the defense and foreign ministries had initially declined to comment on his presence. Some in France consider the visit as scandal because Mr. President accuse the French of committing a genocide. "This wasn't only a genocide against the Algerian people but also a genocide against Algerian identity," Algerian President said.
The Algerian president Bouteflika said in a speech this week: "We no longer know whether we are Berbers (indigenous North Africans), Arabs, Europeans or French". France committed a "genocide of Algerian identity" during the colonial era, he said.
Bouteflika also said "Colonisation brought the genocide of our identity, of our history, of our language, of our traditions."
French-Algerian relations had been tenser since France passed a law last year requiring textbooks to show the "positive role" the country played in its former colonies.
The law was an embarrassment for the government, and President Jacques Chirac said in January that it should be revamped.
Observers said the law had stalled and possibly even scuppered a French-Algerian friendship treaty that was originally planned for 2005, and Bouteflika had used tougher language about France since the law was passed. Algerian President Bouteflika had equated France's law with "mental blindness" and revisionist history.
Algeria first became a colony of France in 1830. After a disasterous war which ended in Algeria's independence in 1962, eight million Algerian residents were deprived of French nationality and hundreds of thousands of 'pieds noir' (French who settled in Algeria and were re-patriated at the end of the war) were forced home to a place which was not home.
President Bouteflika's latest outburst has further strained Algerian-French relations which have been tense since France passed a law last year requiring textbooks to show the 'positive role' that the Republique played in its former colonies. The law was an embarassment for French president Jacques Chirac who said in January that it should be revamped.
The response from Paris to this latest bilateral crisis has been tardy. French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has been to Algiers for talks with the Algerian government. He concluded in an interview with RMC radio of Monaco that despite the two countries having "an exceptional partnership" there was a "need to examine the pages of history... which are sad". Howevwe he did not touch the issue of Genocide.
Far right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen (himself with a dubious history of service in the Algerian war) reacted furiously. Responding to news that Bouteflika had checked into Paris' Val de Grace hospital for a follow-up on an operation he had in December, Le Pen said that it was "scandalous" that Bouteflika should accuse France of genocide, and then be looked after in Paris straight afterwards.
Algeria last year called on France to apologise for crimes committed during the colonial era. Bouteflika also urged Paris to admit its part in the massacres of 45,000 Algerians who took to the streets to demand independence as Europe celebrated victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. French authorities then responded by playing down the comments, urging "mutual respect". The 1954-1962 war of independence cost the lives of 1.5 million Algerians, according to the Algiers government.
Jan Soykok, JTW
20 April 2006
Thursday , 20 April 2006
Doppelmoral Doppelmoral Doppelmoral
