Algerian Premier Urges France To Admit Its Colonial "Crimes"

ALGERIAN PREMIER URGES FRANCE TO ADMIT ITS COLONIAL "CRIMES"

Algerian Radio, Algiers,
12 Nov 2006

Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem was yesterday the guest of the
TV Forum during which he dealt with political, security and economic
issues in addition to Algerian relations with France and Morocco.

More details by [TV correspondent] Nacera Menane:

[Menane – recording] Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem said the
implementation of the charter on peace and national reconciliation had
achieved positive results due to the return of security and stability
to every corner of the country. He denied that there were obstacles
in implementing the procedures of the charter on peace and national
reconciliation. Belkhadem said the security forces had eliminated some
17,000 terrorists since the beginning of terrorism in Algeria [1992].

Regarding responsibility towards the destitute families of the
terrorists, the prime minister said that social investigations had
numbered 10,346 and that the study 6,052 files was completed, of
which 3,769 were accepted.

With regard to the issue of the missing persons, the prime minister
said the unveiled cases of the missing persons had reached 6.601.

Regarding the situation of the [state-sponsored militia] self-defence
groups, Abdelaziz Belkhadem said Algeria would not abandon its sons,
particularly those who had confronted terrorism, whose sacrifices
need to be acknowledged.

On the possibility of some officials of the banned party [Islamic
Salvation Front, FIS] resuming political activities, the prime
minister reminded of the fact that the texts of the charter on peace
and national reconciliation were clear on the issue. Such texts do
not allow anyone who was behind the national tragedy to return to
the political scene.

With regard to the economy, Belkhadem said Algeria had recorded
positive economic and financial results between 2000 and 2006, through
a yearly-average growth rate estimated at five per cent and inflation
rate of less than two per cent.

On rural development, the prime minister said the government was
busy preparing a plan for establishing 950 rural municipalities in
coordination with the Ministries of Interior and Local Authorities
and Agriculture and Rural Development. He pointed out to two huge
projects to supply the entire country with electricity and gas.

On the Algerian-Moroccan relations, the prime minister reiterated
Algeria’s willingness to work with Morocco in a way to serve the
interests of our two countries. He also reiterated Algeria’s attachment
to the Arab Maghreb Union [AMU].

The prime minister also touched on relations between Algeria and France
as well as other issues relating to the constitution, corruption, the
phenomenon of kidnapping, racketeering and attacks on properties. [End
of recording].

Responding to journalists’ questions on the issue of national
reconciliation, Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem said national
reconciliation cannot be restricted to figures but it is a moral
issue which aims to lead the country towards security and the end of
the spiral of violence in a way to settle the issue radically.

Belkhadem provided full details on the outcome of the policy of
national reconciliation and he revealed the latest figure of the
missing persons. He also spoke about issues which had been settled
and other issues which continue to wait for a solution.

Terrorism and missing persons

[Belkhadem – recording] The law which was issued following the charter
on peace and national reconciliation had set deadlines. At the end
of these deadlines, cases of missing persons numbered 6.601.

By the end of August, the number of persons who had received a
court verdict, on this issue, was 3,610 cases. The number of minutes
surveyed and presented by the concerned authorities on the missing
persons is as follows: By the National Gendarmerie 3,630 and by the
national security [police] 1,336. The number of verdicts received by
the legal authorities was 3,041 cases and the number of cases settled
after all the conditions of the files were completed was 965 cases.

Still with regard to the missing persons, 297 cases were turned down.

[End of recording].

The prime minister also provided figures on the number of terrorists
eliminated during the Dark Decade [1990s], which resulted in
destitute families; an issue dealt with by the charter for peace
and national reconciliation and confirmed by Gendarmerie and police
investigations. The prime minister, once again:

[Belkhadem] With regard to terrorists, 16,903 had been killed. The
number of death certificates presented by the National Gendarmeries
was about 4,800 and by the police 4,460. The decree, however, refers
to destitute families of killed terrorists. This means that not all
families [of terrorists] will benefit, but only the destitute families
as was stated by the charter on peace and national reconciliation and
as was stated by the law. There are 10,346 social investigations to
find out whether these families are destitute or not. The outcome
of the final investigations at the end of August was 8,196. The
provincial committees dealt with 6,052 of these files and 3,769
were accepted. The investigation of 314 files was delayed in order
to complete fact-gathering process; while 1,900 files were turned
down. [End of recording].

Kidnapping and other crimes

On the spread of crimes, racketeering and kidnapping, the prime
minister said the security services are currently working in every
corner of the country – according to preventive directives – to
confront this phenomenon and to use the force of the law against those
who try to racketeer citizens and illegally seize their properties.

[Belkhadem] Kidnapping is followed by a demand for a ransom. This
is a new phenomenon as far as the Algerian society is concerned. In
recent months we have seen this phenomenon exacerbating in one of the
country’s regions. Now, the security services have taken measures to
confront this phenomenon, as is the case with other phenomena which
have been exacerbated such as physical attacks, theft, theft of mobile
phones and attacks on properties. At times there are even attacks on
banks both at night and in broad daylight. Our security services are
being trained to confront these diseases. [End of recording].

Relations with France

The recent tension in relations between Algeria and France, due to
the law glorifying French colonialism, was dealt with by the prime
minister in his interview. He said Algeria wanted equal and strong
relations with France; relations between two sovereign states.

Belkhadem urged French politicians to admit and not to overlook the
history of a colonialist period during which crimes were committed.

[Belkhadem] We want equal relations between two sovereign states
in the service of their common interests. Algeria and France share
common interests. Now, how are we going to deal with each other? Yes,
we do business with one another but without forgetting the past.

Nobody can forget his past. We tell our French partners that we are
fully ready to improve relations in the interests of the two peoples,
with conditions that you admit the crimes you had committed during
the colonial period. For instance, I have heard HE president of the
French Republic when he visited Turkey. He spoke to the Turks on the
Armenians. He told the Turks that a state becomes great when it admits
its actions. It is appropriate for the president of the French Republic
that France admits the crimes it had perpetrated. [End of recording].

Referendum

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the National Liberation Front’s
[FLN] Executive Committee Abdelaziz Belkhadem revealed yesterday,
during a meeting of the leaders of the residential Coalition [FLN,
Democratic National Rally, RND, and Movement of Society for Peace,
MSP], that the referendum on constitutional amendment will be held
during the period when the RND chairs the Presidential Coalition,
which started yesterday and will end on 14 February of next year.

The three political parties have referred the decision on this issue
to the president of the republic in his capacity as the first judge
of the country.