Journalist quits job at RTL after comparing French actions in Algeria to Nazi massacre “I Was Horrified by What I Read”

A prominent French journalist has announced his decision to step down from his role as an expert analyst for French radio station RTL after his controversial comparison of French actions during its colonial rule in Algeria to a massacre carried out by Nazi forces in France during World War II.

Jean-Michel Aphatie, a seasoned reporter and broadcaster, maintained that he fully stood by his comments made on RTL in February, despite sparking an uproar, Caliber.Az reports, citing the British newspaper The Guardian.

"I will not return to RTL. It is my decision," Aphatie wrote on X after the radio station suspended him for a week.

On February 25, during a broadcast, Aphatie remarked, "Every year in France, we commemorate what happened in Oradour-sur-Glane – the massacre of an entire village. But we have committed hundreds of these, in Algeria. Are we aware of this?" He was referring to the 1944 massacre of 642 villagers by an SS unit in Oradour-sur-Glane, a tragedy that left a haunting memorial as the village was never rebuilt.

When the program's host questioned whether “we [the French] behaved like the Nazis,” Aphatie responded, “The Nazis behaved like us.” 

While acknowledging the debate his comments sparked, Aphatie defended the necessity of confronting France's colonial past. "I was horrified by what I read in history books," he said, stressing the importance of understanding the full scope of France's 1830-1962 presence in Algeria.

Following his suspension, Aphatie made it clear that if he were to return to RTL, it would mean "I validate this and admit to making a mistake," calling the line he had crossed one that "cannot be crossed."

The conduct of French forces in Algeria during the 1954-62 war, which ultimately led to the country's independence, continues to be a sensitive subject. Violations, including arbitrary killings and detentions carried out by French forces, have been well-documented by historians from both France and Algeria, and the legacy of these events still affects the relationship between the two nations.

By Khagan Isayev