Algerians protest in Paris, demand France acknowledge colonial war crimes PHOTO

Algerians have held a rally in Paris against France’s colonial policy. 

The rally participants called on the French government to officially acknowledge the war crimes committed in Algeria, Caliber.Az reports, citing the local media.

The protesters condemned the inhumane display of the skulls of executed Algerian fighters, who gave their lives for independence, in a Paris museum. They demanded the return of the decapitated soldiers' skulls to Algeria.

The protesters also reminded the public of the nuclear tests conducted by France in Algeria, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and the forced deportation of the local population. They asserted that France had plundered the country, appropriating its material and cultural heritage. The demonstrators called for France to officially recognize the war crimes committed during its colonial rule.

Earlier, the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) prepared a report titled "Stolen Prosperity: How Colonialism Suppressed Economic Freedom in Overseas Territories," which analyzes in detail the negative impact of France's colonial policies on its overseas territories. The report outlines how natural resources in these regions of France are being destroyed and exploited. In particular, it emphasises that illegal logging, water pollution, and many other environmental crimes occur with the tacit approval of French authorities, contributing to the degradation of the environment in overseas territories.

The authors of the report stress that the actions mentioned have serious economic and social consequences for these territories: they harm vulnerable populations, infringe on the rights of indigenous peoples, and contribute to the loss of biodiversity. Furthermore, France's colonial policy erodes cultural identity and contributes to the decrease of indigenous populations in its overseas territories. The report highlights that to achieve a sustainable and equitable future, all forms of colonialism, including its modern manifestations such as neocolonialism, must be eliminated.

By Naila Huseynova