The “heinous massacres” committed during the French colonial era in Algeria “can’t be forgotten,” Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said.
The bloodshed was a turning point in Algeria’s history, Tebboune said in a message on the 77th anniversary of the massacre of May 8, 1945, committed by the French colonial army against Algerian demonstrators.
Algerian official figures estimate that around 45,000 Algerians were killed for demanding independence for their country in the May 8, 1945 massacre, which was the largest committed by France in a single day.
Algeria represents the most recent and bloodiest example of France’s colonial history on the African continent.
Millions were displaced in an eight-year struggle for independence that started in 1954, which resulted in the death of approximately 1.5 million Algerians.
Algeria has demanded France to recognize and compensate for its crimes committed against the Algerian people during the French colonial period between 1830 and 1962 for years.
An official apology was never given by Paris to Algeria for its colonial policies.
