France Rejects Algeria’s Participation In Identifying The Revolution War Victims

French parliament dropped the only amendment to the compensation of Algerian civilian victims in the war of liberation that was proposed by an MP M’jid El Guerrab (of Moroccan origin), who called for direct dialogue with Algeria to determine the consequences of the compensation process, both financially and legally.

 Amendment No. 238 on the law of military pensions, the disabled and the victims of war, which copy is available to Echorouk, issued that “it is advisable to establish a special committee to compensate the Algerian civilian victims in the war of liberation and to initiate direct dialogue with the Algerian party on the jurisprudence of the French Constitutional Council, both legally and in terms of the financial impact of potential compensations”.

 After reviewing the amendment, the Commission Rapporteur, Jean-Jacques Bridey,  said the amendment was dropped, according to a report by the Defense and Armed Forces Committee of the French National Assembly, to amend the law on military pensions, disabled and war victims.

 He addressed the MP, M’jid Al Guerrab, saying: “The jurisprudence that is presented by the Constitutional Council dates back only to February 8, just a month ago, and these matters relating to the constitutionality of the proceedings require sufficient time”.

 Jean-Jacques Bridey added that “without going into details, the French government is working on this file and how to draw its consequences will be determined by the Ministry of Armies. It is premature at the moment.”

 Through this procedure of dropping the amendment, it is clear that the French authorities refuse any joint action with Algeria to identify civilian victims of compensation, based on the lists that are seized by France.

 In the same report, a statement that was made by the Director of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of the French Armies, Claire Legras, who tried to justify the failure of France to compensate the victims of the war of liberation with article in the Evian Agreements that was signed between the two countries.

 “The Evian agreements between Algeria and France constituted a real obstacle before France’s efforts to compensate the Algerian victims of the war”.