Colonial Memory in Today’s Algeria

posted on: Jan 7, 2026

Photo by Muhammed Amine Benloulou, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

By: Arab America Contributing Writer/Diksha Tyagi

More than 60 years after Algerian independence, relations between Algeria and France remain volatile. Though cooperation and dialogue have existed and persist at times, recent developments have witnessed a low in their relationship. With a look back at Algerian history and the large role that France has played, their rocky relationship can be seen as an outgrowth of French colonization.

Algerian Colonization

French colonization began in the 16th century as a result of exploratory voyages towards the west, beginning with North America. However, the 18th century witnessed French colonization at its peak. France began its colonization of Algeria in 1830, justified by diplomatic disputes with the Ottoman authorities in Algiers. Over the following decades, France expanded control over the majority of the area through sustained military campaigns.

Algeria was eventually transformed into a settler colony, with many Europeans encouraged to inhabit the land. Algeria became legally incorporated into France, but that integration didn’t grant equal citizenship to the Algerian population. Instead, Algerian society became rigidly hierarchical, excluding the majority from political rights.

The War of Independence

Algerians, especially after World War II, began to demand independence. In May of 1945, French forces killed thousands of Algerian protesters in the Sétif and Guelma massacres. This led to the Algerian War of Independence, beginning in 1954 and stretching to 1962. 

The FLN, Algeria’s Front de Libération Nationale, fought against the French government for these eight years. The FLN used guerilla tactics and political mobilization while the French fought back with massive military force, unwilling to accept Algerian independence. Eventually, changing leadership and consensus in France led to the Evian Accords in March of 1962. These Accords established a ceasefire and led to a referendum where Algerians voted overwhelmingly for independence.

Post-Independence Relations

Despite France’s agreement to Algerian independence, many issues remained unresolved. The war involved widespread loss, with millions displaced and between 300,000 and over 1 million Algerians killed. Yet, the Evian Accords did not assign responsibility nor a shared narrative. For decades, France refused to accept the conflict as a war and delayed acknowledging numerous war crimes. Algeria continues to demand recognition and remediation for the lasting effects of French colonization.

At the same time, the countries remain close economically, politically, and socially. Though many left during the war, some French citizens remained in Algeria. Algerian workers, especially postwar, also migrated and were recruited to support French economic growth. However, Algerian migration was highly politicized, and so was the memory of the war within France.

Algeria and France by 2026

In recent years, relations between the nations have sharply deteriorated. In mid-2024, France formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territories of Western Sahara. Algeria supports the opposing side, the Polisario Front, which seeks independence. Algeria therefore reacted sharply, withdrawing their ambassador from France in July of 2024.

Following that and other disputes around political dissidents, a diplomatic crisis has taken place. After a French court detained an Algerian consular official and expelled Algerian diplomatic staff, Algeria responded with reciprocal expulsions. This was the first such rift in dialogue since independence. 

In August of 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron suspended the 2013 diplomatic visa-exemption agreement that allowed officials to travel more freely between the two states. France also revoked diplomatic privileges for about 80 senior Algerian officials. Algeria retaliated by fully terminating the agreement, further restricting diplomatic exchanges.

Finally, December of 2025 witnessed Algeria’s legislation unanimously declare French colonization a crime. They formally demand an apology and reparations from Paris, adding to the already high tensions between the nations.

Implications

Many factors have contributed to this decline in relations, changes in regional geopolitics in North Africa and the lack of extensive dialogue about colonial memory in particular. The absence of recognition of many atrocities in Algeria has been and will most likely continue to be a source of mistrust for Algerians. Additionally, immigration debates in France and nationalist movements in both nations have divided the two, decreasing the likelihood of cooperation.

Looking ahead, it doesn’t seem like relations are likely to improve soon. Though Algeria and France’s relationship hasn’t ever been perfect, these recent developments are particularly significant. Instead, they could signal a rift that will continue to grow without willingness on both sides to cooperate and search for common ground once again.

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