The repairs provided by the text voted by the National Assembly will only concern some 50,000 people among the 90,000 Harkis who fled Algeria, a “betrayal” for some.
by
“The war [from Algeria] is finished, launched with solemnity in the hemicycle the member for Seine-Saint-Denis Alexis Corbière (France unsuitable, LFI). It is necessary to repair the bleeding of history and avoid reopening the scars. “During six hours of debate, Thursday, November 18, some parliamentarians have not forgotten to list” the horrors “of this conflict (1954-1962) targeting the” Bouchers of the FLN ” . Others took advantage of the exchanges to greet the memory of their parents’ parents. Then, all – and it was the agenda – paid tribute to their “friends” Harkis, these fighters engaged in the French army, abandoned with their families by the state in the aftermath of the end of the war and which have been locked up for years in camps, prisons or lamenta hamlets upon their arrival in France.
Nearly sixty years later, the National Assembly looked at a bill “granting the nation and compensation of harms suffered by the Harkis”. This text is supposed to support the request for “pardon” formulated by Emmanuel Macron, on September 20 at the Elysee, who had so much surprised these former soldiers and their descendants. To no longer neglect this “tragedy of fidelity scorned”, and to pay the “debt” that the Republic has contracted, the President promised a bill of recognition and reparation.
But, for many Harkis, this law that wants to be historic, voted at first reading by a quasi-empty assembly – less than fifty members present -, is not up to the height. “We went for forgiveness to contempt,” says Journalist Dalila Kerchouche, another of my father, this Hark (Seuil, 2003), who denounces an “unworthy” law.
“C ‘ is a betrayal for us “
To understand what he played in Parliament, you have to come back a few months back. On January 20, Benjamin Stora puts on the head of state his report on “colonization and the Algerian war”. The historian offers to “see with the Algerian authorities the opportunity to facilitate the movement of harkis and their children between France and Algeria”. A suggestion that arouses misunderstanding – because it is already the case in practice – and pushes the Harkis to wonder if the president would not seek to put under the memorial carpet their suffering to not interfere with reconciliation with the Algerian regime.
To answer these questions, Mr. Macron meets, May 10, at the Elysée four personalities who bear this memoir in their flesh: Dalila Kerchouche, Mohand Hamoumou, son of Harkis, former member of the scientific council of the memorial Rivesaltes, Claire Tassadit-Houd, daughter of Harkis and close to the president, and Serge Carel. The testimony of this 84-year-old committed “touched the heart of the president”, remembers M me Kerchouche, and finished convincing him that he needed a legislative text to recognize their sacrifices and repair them “As much as possible,” recalls the Elysee. At the request of the Head of State, these four people agreed to tell their story at the Harkis Tribute Ceremony on September 20th, before the presidential speech.
You have 53.28% of this article to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.