Latest news with #Stora
El Chorouk
06-07-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Benjamin Stora Reveals Secrets of the Memory File With Macron
French historian of Algerian origin, Benjamin Stora, revealed some of the secrets he shared with French President Emmanuel Macron over the course of nearly ten years. These exchanges, during which the resident of the Élysée Palace formulated his project on the Algerian-French memory file, were discussed. He also spoke, for the first time, about his grandfather's interests being targeted by figures from the Algerian Revolution. The French president began approaching the historian, who had worked on the Algerian-French memory issue for five decades, according to Stora, in a podcast in which the rector of the Paris Mosque, Chems Eddine Hafiz, played the role of the interviewer, as reported by the mosque on its X account. Stora said that the French president approached him in 2016 for consultations as an expert to search for ways to deal with the Algerian-French memory issue, which is considered one of the most sensitive, along with other issues. At the time, the French president was merely a potential candidate for the French presidential elections. He visited Algeria in February 2017 after submitting his candidacy. During that visit, he made an unprecedented statement about the French colonisation of Algeria, confirming that 'it is a crime against humanity'. However, he retracted these statements immediately upon his return to France, under pressure from the far right and those dreaming of a 'French Algeria.' The historian, who is highly respected by the Algerian authorities and was previously received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, explained that he told Macron, who became French president in 2017, 'Since the story is very long, we must be patient.' He added that he also advised him to choose symbolic acts and proceed step by step. Stora's goal behind this 'step-by-step' policy was to expose the reality of the war and the colonial system to French society and younger generations. Algerians strongly criticised this policy, considering it a 'policy of distillation,' at a time when Algerians were demanding recognition and even an apology for French crimes over 132 years, a demand Paris continues to reject to this day. According to Benjamin Stora's testimony, the French president accepted the advice he offered, which led to his subsequent assignment to prepare the report on the memory of French colonialism in Algeria in January 2021. Benjamin Stora attempted to maintain an equitable distance between the Algerian and French sides, and he was criticised by both sides. The French side, the far right, considered him to have followed the ideas of the National Liberation Front, while the Algerians criticised him for not calling on Paris to apologise for its crimes during 132 years of destructive settlers' colonialism. However, Stora, speaking to the rector of the Paris Mosque, emphasised that his consultation was behind some of the French president's subsequent steps regarding memory. He noted that he suggested to Emmanuel Macron that the French state acknowledge its responsibility for the extrajudicial killing of many of the revolution's leaders and some of its French supporters. A reference here is to the forgiveness Macron offered, on behalf of the French state, to the family of mathematics professor and activist for the Algerian cause, Maurice Audin, lawyer and activist Ali Boumendjel, and martyred hero Larbi Ben M'hidi, all of whom were brutally liquidated by French occupation army paratroopers. This followed decades of denial and fabrication, with claims of suicide, as in the case of martyr Ben M'hidi. He also proposed that France honour Mouloud Feraoun's memory by placing a wreath on his grave. Among his unanswered proposals, Benjamin Stora regretted his failure in the case of revolutionary lawyer Gisèle Halimi, attributing the reason to the mobilisation of Harkis' sons and their signing of a petition against her admission to the Panthéon. He also revealed that President Tebboune was the one who suggested the establishment of a commission of historians from both sides. This commission made significant progress but was halted immediately after the French president's 'unfriendly' stance, siding with the Moroccan regime in the summer of 2024 regarding the Western Sahara issue. Stora expressed his hope that the Algerian-French Joint Commission would be able to resume its work, which could contribute to restoring the currently stalled relations. In testimony disclosed for the first time, Benjamin Stora revealed that he met with former minister and leader of the historic second wilaya, Abderrezak Bouhara, in 2002. The latter joked with him, saying, 'I have a debt to you that I must repay. I burned your grandfather's truck in Khenchela in 1956.' Benjamin Stora's grandfather was the mayor of Khenchela (eastern Algeria) during the liberation revolution.
eNCA
21-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Algeria, France in 'worst crisis' since independence: French historian
Algeria and France are currently experiencing their worst crisis since the former French colony won independence in 1962, said the author of a landmark report on France's legacy in the north African nation. It will take painstaking work, including on historical grievances, to restore trust, Benjamin Stora, one of the world's leading experts on French-Algerian history, added in an interview with AFP. Atrocities committed by both sides during the 1954-1962 Algerian war of independence have long strained relations -- even half a century later. But the last months have seen a particular spike in ill feeling after President Emmanuel Macron in July 2024 backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front. Ties soured further when Algeria arrested and jailed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in November on national security charges. French authorities have arrested Algerian influencers in France on terror propaganda charges while there have been tit-for-tat expulsions of officials working in both countries. Bilateral ties are enduring their "most significant crisis since Algeria's independence in 1962", Stora told AFP. Stora said that the crisis has set in for a long duration as on both sides there are "people and organisations that have a vested interest in things not always going very well". He added that while work on the historical memory of French colonisation of Algeria is "indispensable", it will not be enough on its own to extricate Paris and Algiers from the "unprecedented" crisis. And in terms of history, a shadow is cast in Algeria not just by the violations committed by French forces during the war of independence but also massacres carried out in the early years of colonisation from 1830 to 1880 that are little known in France. "It goes back very far. We are talking about six generations," he said. - 'Ghost in the cupboard' - On Macron's move over Western Sahara, he added: "Perhaps this should have been discussed. That wasn't the case... Unfortunately, we have settled into this misunderstanding. AFP | JOEL SAGET "We must be patient and move forward step by step with the political will to resolve the situation." Stora in January 2021 presented a report to Macron describing a "never-ending memory war" between the former colonial power and colony. He proposed the creation of a mixed French-Algerian "memory and truth commission" that would hear testimony from all sides and drive efforts at reconciliation. Macron, the first president born after the colonial period, has gone further than any of his predecessors in recognising crimes committed by French forces. In his latest gesture in November, Macron acknowledged that Larbi Ben M'hidi, a key figure in Algeria's war against France, had been killed by French soldiers after his arrest in 1957. AFP | JOEL SAGET But he has always stopped short of issuing any formal apology, a move that would cause uproar on the right as well as the far-right, many of whose supporters are from families of the so-called "pieds noirs" French who settled in Algeria but returned to France after independence. Stora warned that the issue had become deeply political, with hardline Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau taking aim at Algeria in his successful bid for the leadership of his right-wing party. He did not rule out it could become an issue in 2027 presidential elections where the far-right is due to launch a major challenge. The memory of colonisation and the Algerian War is "a bit like the ghost in the cupboard", said Stora. "We feel like we've locked everything away, but it still slips out and the memory comes back."
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Algeria, France in 'worst crisis' since independence: French historian
Representative AI image Algeria and France are currently experiencing their worst crisis since the former French colony won independence in 1962, said the author of a landmark report on France's legacy in the north African nation. It will take painstaking work, including on historical grievances , to restore trust, Benjamin Stora , one of the world's leading experts on French-Algerian history, added in an interview with AFP. Atrocities committed by both sides during the 1954-1962 Algerian war of independence have long strained relations -- even half a century later. But the last months have seen a particular spike in ill feeling after President Emmanuel Macron in July 2024 backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front. Ties soured further when Algeria arrested and jailed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in November on national security charges. French authorities have arrested Algerian influencers in France on terror propaganda charges while there have been tit-for-tat expulsions of officials working in both countries. Bilateral ties are enduring their "most significant crisis since Algeria's independence in 1962", Stora told AFP. Stora said that the crisis has set in for a long duration as on both sides there are "people and organisations that have a vested interest in things not always going very well". He added that while work on the historical memory of French colonisation of Algeria is "indispensable", it will not be enough on its own to extricate Paris and Algiers from the "unprecedented" crisis. And in terms of history, a shadow is cast in Algeria not just by the violations committed by French forces during the war of independence but also massacres carried out in the early years of colonisation from 1830 to 1880 that are little known in France. "It goes back very far. We are talking about six generations," he said. Ghost in the cupboard On Macron's move over Western Sahara, he added: "Perhaps this should have been discussed. That wasn't the case... Unfortunately, we have settled into this misunderstanding. "We must be patient and move forward step by step with the political will to resolve the situation." Stora in January 2021 presented a report to Macron describing a "never-ending memory war" between the former colonial power and colony. He proposed the creation of a mixed French-Algerian "memory and truth commission" that would hear testimony from all sides and drive efforts at reconciliation. Macron, the first president born after the colonial period, has gone further than any of his predecessors in recognising crimes committed by French forces. In his latest gesture in November, Macron acknowledged that Larbi Ben M'hidi, a key figure in Algeria's war against France, had been killed by French soldiers after his arrest in 1957. But he has always stopped short of issuing any formal apology, a move that would cause uproar on the right as well as the far-right, many of whose supporters are from families of the so-called "pieds noirs" French who settled in Algeria but returned to France after independence. Stora warned that the issue had become deeply political, with hardline Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau taking aim at Algeria in his successful bid for the leadership of his right-wing party. He did not rule out it could become an issue in 2027 presidential elections where the far-right is due to launch a major challenge. The memory of colonisation and the Algerian War is "a bit like the ghost in the cupboard", said Stora. "We feel like we've locked everything away, but it still slips out and the memory comes back."
Local France
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Local France
Algeria and France in 'worst crisis' since independence, claims French historian
It will take painstaking work, including on historical grievances, to restore trust, Benjamin Stora, one of the world's leading experts on French-Algerian history, added in an interview with AFP. Atrocities committed by both sides during the 1954-1962 Algerian war of independence have long strained relations -- even half a century later. But the last months have seen a particular spike in ill feeling after President Emmanuel Macron in July 2024 backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front. Ties soured further when Algeria arrested and jailed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in November on national security charges. French authorities have arrested Algerian influencers in France on terror propaganda charges while there have been tit-for-tat expulsions of officials working in both countries. Bilateral ties are enduring their "most significant crisis since Algeria's independence in 1962", Stora told AFP. Stora said that the crisis has set in for a long duration as on both sides there are "people and organisations that have a vested interest in things not always going very well". Advertisement He added that while work on the historical memory of French colonisation of Algeria is "indispensable", it will not be enough on its own to extricate Paris and Algiers from the "unprecedented" crisis. And in terms of history, a shadow is cast in Algeria not just by the violations committed by French forces during the war of independence but also massacres carried out in the early years of colonisation from 1830 to 1880 that are little known in France. "It goes back very far. We are talking about six generations," he said. 'Ghost in the cupboard' On Macron's move over Western Sahara, he added: "Perhaps this should have been discussed. That wasn't the case... Unfortunately, we have settled into this misunderstanding. "We must be patient and move forward step by step with the political will to resolve the situation." Stora in January 2021 presented a report to Macron describing a "never-ending memory war" between the former colonial power and colony. He proposed the creation of a mixed French-Algerian "memory and truth commission" that would hear testimony from all sides and drive efforts at reconciliation. Advertisement Macron, the first president born after the colonial period, has gone further than any of his predecessors in recognising crimes committed by French forces. In his latest gesture in November, Macron acknowledged that Larbi Ben M'hidi, a key figure in Algeria's war against France, had been killed by French soldiers after his arrest in 1957. But he has always stopped short of issuing any formal apology, a move that would cause uproar on the right as well as the far-right, many of whose supporters are from families of the so-called "pieds noirs" French who settled in Algeria but returned to France after independence. Stora warned that the issue had become deeply political, with hardline Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau taking aim at Algeria in his successful bid for the leadership of his right-wing party. He did not rule out it could become an issue in 2027 presidential elections where the far-right is due to launch a major challenge. The memory of colonisation and the Algerian War is "a bit like the ghost in the cupboard", said Stora. "We feel like we've locked everything away, but it still slips out and the memory comes back."
France 24
09-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Remembering Sétif, the VE Day colonial massacres that ‘lost Algeria' for France
On the morning of May 8, 1945, even as revellers thronged the streets of French cities to celebrate the end of World War II, a crowd of around 10,000 people gathered in Sétif, a commercial hub in Algeria 's Constantine region, east of Algiers. The local authorities, in what was then a French département, had authorised a rally to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany, while forbidding any flag other than that of liberated France. Still, some demonstrators showed up waving Algerian flags and singing the patriotic chant ' Min Djibalina ' (From our Mountains), which would later become an anthem of the independence struggle. Some cried 'Free Messali Hadj', calling for the release of a jailed champion of Algerian independence. Others shouted, 'We want to be your equals' and 'Down with colonialism'. Suddenly, 'a policeman shot an Algerian flag-bearer, sparking shock and anger among the crowd, who then turned on the Europeans who were present,' Benjamin Stora, an Algeria-born French historian, said in a 2022 interview with FRANCE 24. Stora, who spent half a century investigating the fraught history between Algeria and its former colonial power, said 'tens of thousands of people' were killed in the ensuing repression, which he described as a weeks-long 'massacre'. 'It was a war of reprisal that lasted practically two months,' he explained. 'We talk about the events of May 8 but in truth the repression lasted through May and June 1945.' 12:16 Algerian nationalists at the time said some 45,000 people were killed in the massacres at Sétif and in the towns and surrounding areas of Guelma and Kherrata, an estimate later adopted by independent Algeria in 1962. French authorities in 1945 put the death toll at 1,500 Algerians and 103 'Europeans', the term used to refer to Algeria's white, settler population. 'Various figures have been put forward,' said Stora. 'US intelligence spoke of 30,000 dead, while historians' estimates range between 8,000 and 20,000 dead. There were summary executions, arbitrary arrests and murders committed by the regular army, but also by European militias (...) The repression was absolutely appalling.' Point of no return A turning point in Algerian history, the Sétif massacres are intimately tied to the end of the World War II, during which General Charles de Gaulle's Free French forces – opposed to Nazi-allied Vichy France – had relied heavily on colonial troops. In the months following the bloody repression, hundreds of thousands of Algerian Muslim soldiers, who had fought with the Allies against Nazi Germany at the battle of Monte Cassino in Italy and during the Provence landings, were gradually demobilised and sent home. 'Upon returning home, Algerians who had fought with the Allies for two or three years were shocked to discover the scale of repression. Many families had been affected, since all the northern part of Constantine province had been bombed, particularly by the air force,' said Stora. Veterans who 'took part in the war effort had thought they would be rewarded. Or at least that their rights would be recognised,' he added. The scale and horror of the massacres perpetrated by police, the army and parts of the settler population persuaded many advocates of Algerian independence that peaceful dialogue was simply not on the agenda in the wake of World War II. Algerian nationalists who had opposed colonial rule since the 1930s soon turned to armed struggle, launching a bloody war of independence in November 1954 that would end nearly eight years later with the departure of over a million French and other nationals who were living in Algeria. Indifference, then ignorance The massacres of May-June 1945 marked a turning point for a generation of Algerians who believed that fighting to liberate France would in turn pave the way for their liberation from colonial rule. In mainland France, however, indifference prevailed. Absorbed by his efforts to rebuild France and restore its standing among the world's powers, Charles de Gaulle devoted just two lines to the subject of Sétif in his memoirs. Two voices attempted to break this deafening silence. One was José Aboulker, an Algerian member of the French Resistance who denounced the massacres in a speech at the National Assembly in Paris in June 1945. The other was Albert Camus, 'who protested vigorously against these massacres, saying that Algerians were considered inferior, as though they were subhumans', said Stora. 'Camus spoke vehemently against the colonial system,' he added. 'He was one of the few French intellectuals, perhaps the only one in 1945, to realise the significance of these terrible events, which would lead to a hardening of Algerian nationalism.' Eighty years on, recognition of this tragic episode is still in its infancy. In 2005, at the request of then president Jacques Chirac, the French ambassador in Algiers, Hubert Colin de Verdière, referred to the 'massacres' of May 8, 1945, as an 'inexcusable tragedy', marking the first such acknowledgement by a French official. On a visit to Guelma University three years later, another ambassador to Algeria, Bernard Bajolet, acknowledged 'the very heavy responsibility of the French authorities of the time in this outburst of murderous madness [which claimed] thousands of innocent victims, almost all of them Algerian.' Referring to the hundreds of Algerians thrown into the town's mountain gorges, Bajolet said the massacres 'insulted the founding principles of the French Republic and left an indelible mark on its history'. 04:45 In April 2015, a French minister laid a wreath in front of a stele commemorating the first Algerian victim of the crackdown on the Sétif protest of May 8, 1945. Three years earlier, former president François Hollande had acknowledged in a speech to the Algerian Parliament 'the suffering that colonisation inflicted' on Algerians. No French president has apologised for the colonial crimes perpetrated during more than a century of French rule over Algeria. Since 2020, May 8 has been known in Algeria as 'National Remembrance Day'. Divided memories French officials' tentative gestures to acknowledge colonial-era crimes in Algeria have so far failed to bridge a deep divide in the way the two countries perceive their shared past. 'The fact that it has taken so long to face up to the reality of colonial rule has only widened this divide,' Stora observed. 'These opposing memories need to be bridged, so that we can move forward together and so that historical memory is not an obstacle to a Franco-Algerian relationship.' Since 2022, Stora has co-chaired a committee of French and Algerian historians tasked with reviewing the countries' shared past and achieving a 'reconciliation of memories'. Its work has been derailed by a resurgence of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Algiers, inflamed by France's recognition last year of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front. In a recent interview, Stora said the historians' work was effectively at a standstill. 'The commission has not met for a year now,' he said. 'Political issues have interfered with its work.' Meanwhile, a group of French lawmakers led by leftwinger Danièle Simonnet has launched a separate initiative to recognise the 'Other May 8' – a phrase used to refer to the Sétif massacres – as a 'state crime'. 'France has recognised these terrible massacres, but it hasn't acknowledged that this was a state crime,' said Simonnet. 'Sétif was bombarded, it was a massacre on a huge scale, and it's important that we face up to that fact.' A former member of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, Simonnet has set up a cross-partisan group at the National Assembly that auditioned historians and organised a conference on the events of May-June 1945. She is now urging President Emmanuel Macron to directly address the Sétif massacres. 'Many families are still scarred by this history,' she said. 'To move forward together, it would help if the president could put words on what happened, even if it's just a speech.' Simonnet was part of a delegation of French lawmakers who travelled to Algiers on Thursday to attend events marking 80 years since the massacres at Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata. In a message this week, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune framed the commemorations as a matter of national pride and described the events of May-June 1945 as a prelude to Algeria's fight for independence. 'The commemoration of May 8 reflects the Algerians' commitment to freedom and dignity, for which they took to the streets with bare hands to confront an enemy,' Tebboune said, calling French colonialism 'genocidal' and a crime against humanity.
