France to declassify long-secret documents related to war in Algeria


A group of French soldiers pose for a group photo in Algeria during the war that lasted for eight years in the 1950s and 1960s. File Photo/Wikipedia Commons

March 10 (UPI) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the release of a trove of long-secret government documents relating to France's eight-year war with Algeria in the 1950s and 1960s, which ended with full independence for the African nation.

Macron said in his order that the public will ultimately be able to access documents before 1970, which were long kept secret on national security grounds.

Macron said his order will speed up the declassification of the secret archives, which are decades old and will shine greater light on France's activities during the Algerian War between 1954 and its end in 1962.

Elysee Palace said in a statement that Macron's order will "significantly shorten the time required for the declassification procedure" to "encourage respect for historical truth."

Macron had commissioned historian Benjamin Stora to create a report on the secret documents. The release of documents relating to the years up to 1970, particularly those connected to French colonization and the Algerian War, was a key element of the report.

Officials say legislation will be created to detail the declassification process and is expected to receive a vote in the coming months.

France ruled Algeria for 132 years before the North Africa nation gained its independence in 1962. The death toll from the war varies among French and Algerian officials, but most independent experts agree that more than a million Algerians were killed.

Wednesday's announcement came a week after France admitted involvement in the torture and death of Algerian independence activist Ali Boumendjel during the war in 1957.


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