After the return Friday, July 3, to Algeria of the remains of 24 fighters killed by the French army in the Nineteenth century, Paris and Algiers accelerate the not around the work memory. After France which has chosen the personality of the historian Benjamin Stora, Algeria has also appointed a specialist to work jointly on issues of memory between the two countries. The president Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has officially made the announcement Sunday, July 19, during a meeting with the local media. And the choice fell on the doctor, Abdelmadjid Chikhi, director general of the national Centre of archives in algeria, said the head of the State, very active on these issues of memory that link the two countries. France stayed in Algeria for 132 years.
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A historian in charge of the national archives
On Abdelmadjid Chikhi, it is known that he had been appointed on the 29th of April last advisor to the president Tebboune, in charge of the national archives and the national memory. “We agreed with the French president Emmanuel Macron in the area of memory to work normally,” said the algerian president. “To make things easier [ … ] they [Paris, ED.] have appointed a historian known and his vis-à-vis the Dr. Abdelmadjid Chikhi, which is known and is responsible for the national archives and a specialist. We have disclosed to you his name “, he clarified. Abdelmadjid Chikhi is also a veteran of the war of independence (1954-1962). In a statement to APS, on the eve of the celebration of the 58th anniversary of the independence, the new mr. memory of Algeria stated that ” the current generation and those that succeed will remain attached to the application for restitution of all the national archives held by the France, and relating to several periods in our history “, believing that” there is not in the French part of real will to close this file permanently “. In this sense, several associations, historians, and lawyers had requested the French authorities to “immediate access” to the archives, including those inherent to the War of national liberation, through the repeal of the law calling for the protection of secrecy of national defence.
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And after ?
In all cases, the two countries are playing the appeasement. And wish that the two historians will jointly carry out a work memory of the ” truth “, directly under the supervision of the presidents of france and algeria, said recently, Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in an interview to the French daily Opinion.
“We hope that they can accomplish their work in truth, the serenity and the peace to overcome these problems that are poisoning our political relations, the business climate and understanding,” he pleaded. “It is necessary to confront these painful events to go on profitable relationships to the two countries, especially at the economic level,” he still believed.
The pace picked up recently when in the beginning of July, the algerian president had stated to the French tv channel France 24 to wait for an apology from France for the colonization of Algeria in order ” to appease the climate and make it more serene.” This initiative of Algiers and Paris comes at a time when we see a rapprochement between the two countries in intimate relationships and complicated, the fruit of the History, colonization, and migration. It is also important to emphasize the role and the influence of growing social movements that question is always the legacy of the French colonial. On this issue, France has displayed in recent years a proactive policy more assertive.
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Algeria : a “Day of memory” for the massacres of 8 may 1945 in Algeria or the diplomacy of discontent Algeria : the Assembly sanctuarise in the Memory of the “crimes of colonialism” Repatriation of the skulls of the resilient algerians : a ceremony, a revival of historical memory, the Colonization : Algeria expects an apology from France
