The National Democratic Rally (RND) party has lauded the People’s National Assembly’s unanimous vote in favor of the draft law criminalizing colonialism. In a statement released today, the RND expressed its profound satisfaction with this landmark step, marking the first such measure in Algeria’s post-independence history.
The party described the vote as a pivotal, sovereign turning point in the ongoing battle for national liberation. It affirms Algeria’s right, as a state and a people, to defend its history, preserve the dignity of its martyrs, and protect its national memory from attempts to distort or deny the colonial crimes perpetrated over more than 132 years.
The RND emphasized that criminalizing colonialism does not represent an act of hostility, but rather a commitment to historical truth, a victory for justice and international legitimacy, and an embodiment of the people’s long-standing demand for explicit recognition of the crimes committed, reparations, and full acceptance of historical and legal responsibility.
The party also commended the role of the nation’s representatives in this process, considering the law as a deterrent legal framework against any attempts to diminish the enormity of colonial crimes, justify them, or erase their traces, both within and outside Algeria. This sovereign step, the RND stressed, is not directed at the French people, but at the former colonial state, holding it accountable for its historical responsibilities, in accordance with the principles of international law and human rights, and within an international context that is restoring the rights of peoples to memory, redress, and justice.
In closing, the RND reiterated its full support for all initiatives that safeguard national memory, reaffirming its commitment to political and institutional action to defend national sovereignty, consolidate historical justice, and honor the sacrifices of the martyrs, in fidelity to Algeria’s history and to protect the future of its generations.
