Algeria commemorates 81st anniversary of 1945 massacres by French colonial forces

Algeria marked Friday the 81st anniversary of the May 8, 1945, massacres carried out by French colonial forces against Algerians following demonstrations demanding independence after the end of World War II.

On May 8, 1945, French colonial forces committed mass killings in the eastern Algerian regions of Setif, Guelma, and Kherrata, where official Algerian estimates say 45,000 people were killed while taking part in demonstrations for independence.

The protests erupted after France had recruited Algerians to fight alongside it against the Nazi forces during World War II while promising support for Algerian independence afterward.

According to Anadolu’s correspondent, commemorations were held in the northeastern city of Setif under the supervision of Veterans Minister Abdelmalek Cherif, with the participation of French Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces, Alice Rufo.

The French presidency said in a statement that the visit reflected President Emmanuel Macron's desire to address relations between the two countries “with sincerity and respect.”

The visit could help “rebuild trust” and “revive effective dialogue” between Algeria and France after nearly two years of diplomatic tensions, according to France 24.

A wreath was laid at the grave of Bouzid Saal, the first Algerian killed by French forces during the demonstrations after raising the Algerian flag.

Dalila Mertani, a municipal council member in Saint-Fons, France, told Anadolu that the events represented “the first battles for Algeria’s liberation.”

Mertani, who holds both Algerian and French citizenship, said that “May 8th is a sensitive date, as it is considered the first battle for the liberation of Algeria,” referring to Algerians' conviction at the time that independence could only be achieved through revolution.

She described commemorating the anniversary as a “national duty of memory.”

Meanwhile, Walid Belabbas, a member of the Setif municipal council, told Anadolu that during the commemoration, Algerians were remembering “more than 45,000 martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the homeland.”

Belabbas said the crimes committed by “colonial France” would remain engraved in Algerian memory, while paying tribute to the sacrifices of earlier generations “who are responsible for the independence and freedom we enjoy today.”

Historical accounts indicate the 1945 massacres continued for more than 40 days, during which French forces carried out mass executions, burned civilians alive in lime kilns, and threw bound detainees from a bridge into a deep ravine in Kherrata.

The anniversary comes amid escalating tensions between Algeria and France over historical memory and colonial-era issues, tensions that have led to reciprocal ambassador withdrawals and the expulsion of diplomats.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul