ALGIERS, Algeria – Legislators in Algeria voted to declare France’s colonization of the North African country a crime, approving a law that calls for restitution of property taken by France during its 130-year rule, among other demands seeking to redress historical wrongs.
In a solemn ceremony steeped in symbolism, 340 of 407 members of Algeria’s National Assembly voted late Wednesday to approve the law. The move came just a few weeks after African countries made a collective resolution for recognition and reparations for colonial-era crimes.
France slammed the law as a “hostile act” threatening bilateral efforts to heal wounds of the past. The two countries retain close cultural and economic ties but have troubled diplomatic relations.
Fun fact, Algeria loaned a ton of money to France to fund France’s war efforts and France decided that it would be cheaper to colonize Algeria than to pay back their loans.
France used “stopping slavery” as an excuse for colonizing Algeria, colonialism started in 1830 and slavery in France was “stopped” in 1848