Macron Acknowledges Torture and Murder of Algerian Independence Figure

Remains of a house in the Casbah of Algiers, destroyed in 1957 (Wikimedia Commons)

French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that French soldiers murdered Ali Boumendjel, an Algerian independence figure. Macron made the statement “in the name of France” after a meeting with Boumendjel’s grandchildren at the Élysée Palace. Macron’s office released the official statement on March 2. The statement both acknowledged France’s part in the murder of Boumendjel and recognized Boumendjel’s life and legacy. The death had previously been declared a suicide, but Macron moved toward reconciliation with Algeria in his admission that French soldiers tortured and killed Boumendjel in 1957. 

Boumendjel was a prominent lawyer that defended Algerians imprisoned by the French during the Algerian War of Independence. Boumendjel engaged in politics, frequently arguing against the injustice of the colonial system and fighting for Algerian independence. He was captured on February 5, 1957, during the Battle of Algiers, and was detained by French authorities in secret for 43 days. After his arrest, he was assassinated on the orders of Paul Aussaresses, a French army general that has since admitted to ordering Boumendjel’s death by defenestration. For the past several decades, the French government has maintained that Boumendjel committed suicide, despite the statement by Aussaresses and persistent pressure from Malika Boumendjel, his widow. 

The statement comes after Macron’s prolonged attempts to improve the relationship between France and Algeria. As the first French president born after the Algerian War of Independence, he has taken steps to address France’s actions, such as his 2018 acknowledgment of the use of torture by French forces during the war. In July 2020, he put historian Benjamin Stora in charge of assessing France’s awareness and recognition of its colonial history and legacy through the Memories and Truth Commission. In the report published by Stora in January, which included a recommendation to acknowledge Boumendjel’s death, Macron faced increased pressure to shed light on France’s history in Algeria, culminating in this move to begin the healing.

This statement does not suggest that Macron will issue a formal apology, but rather “concrete initiatives” that will continue to promote reconciliation. This statement, as opposed to an apology, comes as Macron faces an election in 2022 and demonstrates his understanding of the divisiveness of the Algerian issue. Despite the lack of an official apology, Macron committed to the continuation of research about the Algerian War of Independence and the atrocities committed during it.

The Algerian government has already recognized and welcomed the statement, noting their satisfaction with the decision to honor Boumendjel. Yet, this official response does not reflect the reception of the general public in Algeria. The reaction to Macron’s attempts at reconciliation has been mixed at best. Many Algerians have been waiting for a French apology since the war, and Macron’s statements of acknowledgment have fallen short of this hope. In France, many, including Prime Minister Jean Castex, argue that France should avoid acknowledgments like these and instead have pride in its history. The views of French history continue to be contested, particularly in the run-up to the elections.

While the issue continues to be controversial in both countries, Macron is attempting to slowly rectify the deep wounds between the country ahead of the 60th anniversary of the end of the war next March. Demonstrating the continued effort by his government to acknowledge France’s past and forge a renewed relationship between the two countries, Macron ended his statement by saying, “No crime, no atrocity committed by anyone during the Algerian War can be excused or hidden. They must be viewed with courage and lucidity, in the absolute respect of all those whose life and destiny they destroyed.”