bir yıl önce

Why Algeria reintroduced scornful reference to France in national anthem

Ties between Algiers and Paris nosedived after French President Macron questioned the very existence of Algeria before it was colonised.

AP

Simmering political tension has continued between Algeria and France over the years. / Photo: AP

In 1986, nearly a quarter century after Algeria gained independence, the African country removed a part from its national anthem that had disparaging remarks about its former coloniser France.

Earlier this month, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune reinstated the anti-France lines in the 'Qassaman' – The Pledge – mandating that the national anthem should be performed in its “complete form”, including the previously deleted segment.

When the African country gained independence after 132 years of brutal and oppressive French rule, it adopted as its national anthem the Qassaman, a revolutionary poem written in his own blood by Algerian nationalist Moufdi Zakaria in prison.

The anthem includes the lines, “O France, the time of reproof is over/And we have ended it as a book is ended;/O France, this is the day of reckoning/ So prepare to receive from us our answer!”

The part was removed from the anthem as Algeria had hoped to improve relations with France, especially when the newly-independent nation faced a fuel crisis and hoped for economic concessions from foreign donors.

Tensions escalate

But simmering political tension continued between Algiers and Paris over the years, only to blow up as a major incident in late 2021 when French President Emmanuel Macron made contentious remarks about Algerian history.

In comments seen as highly insensitive, Macron perpetuated the colonial discourse and questioned whether the Algerian nation existed before French colonial dominance.

Algeria frequently expressed disapproval of France's colonial history and demanded acknowledgement of responsibility and a formal apology for the violations and abuses committed during its occupation.

However, in a recent interview, Macron again stirred the pot, saying: “It’s not up to me to ask forgiveness, that's not what this is about."

“Algeria should live”

For many Algerians – many of whom were witnesses to the horrors of colonialism – the French rule remains the darkest part of the country’s history.

Algeria endured 132 years of colonial crimes – torture, mass displacement, and discrimination against the indigenous Arab-Berber Muslim people were common elements of French control.

The Algerian people fought fiercely for their rights and freedom, leading to a long and bloody war of independence. The war fought for eight years between 1954 and 1962, witnessed a relentless struggle between the FLN, representing Algerian nationalists, and the French colonial forces.

After the brutal repression policies of French authorities to suppress the uprising, the struggle culminated in 1962, when Algeria finally gained its hard-fought independence from France.

This historical backdrop has left deep scars and lasting effects on Algerian society, and the wounds of the past still resonate today. Unresolved issues and grievances continue to shape the bilateral relations between Algeria and France.