2023-11-23 22:48:00
The ghost of Emir Abdelkader, hero of the Algerian resistance to the French conquest, promises to appear on the diplomatic agenda in the coming months. The joint commission of French and Algerian historians, which held its third meeting on Wednesday November 22 in Constantine since its formation in April, agreed on the objective of a “restitution to Algeria of symbolic goods, such as those having belonged to Emir Abdelkader or other Algerian personalities”.
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If the final communiqué published following the meeting does not go into detail, the sword, the burnous and a copy of the Koran which belonged to the Algerian political-spiritual leader are among these “symbolic goods” destined to be returned to Algiers. Emir Abdelkader had lived from 1848 to 1852 in captivity at the royal castle of Amboise (Indre-et-Loire) after leading the resistance of the tribes of western Algeria to the French conquest that began in 1830.
The Algerian government has always made the recovery of its property remaining in France a matter of national honor. Such a restitution operation will have to overcome a number of legal obstacles – some of these properties having been the subject of private acquisitions – but Paris seems to have resolved to move forward on this issue, in particular at the insistence of the historian Benjamin Stora, co-chair of the joint commission.
“Putting historical perspective into perspective over time”
This joint body, composed equally of five French historians and five Algerian historians – appointed by the heads of state of the two countries – is the linchpin of the work of memorial dialogue in which Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmadjid Tebboune are engaged. The idea of such a commission was suggested, in June 2022, by the Algerian president during a meeting in Algiers with Mr. Stora, author of a report on the reconciliation of Franco-Algerian memories commissioned by Mr. Macron . At the end of the visit of the French head of state to Algiers a few weeks later, we committed to ensuring “intelligent and courageous management of problems linked to memory”in order to’“to apprehend the common future with serenity and to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the youth of the two countries”.
In addition to the restitution of “symbolic goods” of historical figures, such as Emir Abdelkader, the commission meeting in Constantine agreed to deepen the work of historiography. In particular, this will involve“develop a timeline” significant episodes of the colonial period and a “common bibliography of research and sources in Algeria and France on the 19th century”. The emphasis placed on the latter responds to the wish of the Algerians to trace the thread of violence which accompanied the conquest, an aspect of history which had, in their eyes, been insufficiently explored in the Stora report.
The French historian, who has become the de facto inspiration for Mr. Macron’s memory policy regarding Algeria, today agrees that it is necessary to fill this gap. “We need to put the work into historical perspective over time, entrusts Mr. Stora to World. Otherwise, we always start this story at the end. We understand nothing of the cruelty of the Algerian war if we do not work on the colonization of settlements, on colonization in general. »
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The joint commission also suggests that ” launch “ of a “exchange and cooperation program” under which fifteen Algerian doctoral students and researchers would come to work on French archives, while fifteen of their French peers would look into Algerian archives. Both countries are invited to offer “all the facilities for access to funds”. Finally, the commission calls for “identification of cemeteries and graves” of Algerian detainees buried in France and the “valuation of these places of memory”.
Dependence on state imperatives
This joint work “does not aim to write a common narrative” like the Franco-German history textbook, according to Mr. Stora, but to encourage “circulations, exchanges and confrontations of sources”. The good intentions set out by the commission will likely be subject to many pitfalls, even obstructions. Opening the archives to researchers undoubtedly remains the most sensitive issue, particularly in a very locked-down Algeria, where a mythological vision of history dominates. For its part, if France has made a lot of progress over the last two years, it is also not exempt from all criticism from researchers, in particular regarding issues (nuclear tests, chemical weapons, etc.) covered by defense secrecy.
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But the main limitation of this commission is its dependence on the state imperatives of the diplomatic relationship between Paris and Algiers. The vicissitudes which punctuated its first meetings illustrated to what extent it constitutes a political barometer: the meetings are held when the link is fluid between the two capitals, they are adjourned when the situation becomes tense. Thus, the prospect of a state visit by Mr. Tebboune to France – already announced in 2022 before being postponed – creates a rather studious atmosphere, with the commission offering substance to future official announcements.
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Another source of fragility is that the Algerian apparatus is apparently not unanimous on this memorial issue, the goodwill displayed by Mr. Tebboune often being contradicted by a more negative tone emanating from certain circles of the regime. Coverage of the Constantine meeting by the Arabic-language daily El Khabar illustrated it well. “The approach of French historians: no transfer of the assets of the leaders of the popular resistance! », headlined the newspaper, ignoring the final communiqué which mentioned Emir Abdelkader. A warning about possible difficulties ahead.
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