French Delegate Minister to the Defense Minister, Alice Roufo, participated Friday in official ceremonies marking the 81st anniversary of the May 8, 1945 massacres in the city of Sétif, alongside Algeria’s Minister of Mujahideen and Rights Holders.
Roufo told dzwatch that “courage is required to look at history as it truly is,” in a clear reference to the massacres that devastated Sétif, Guelma, and Kherrata.
The French minister is on an official visit to Algeria, during which she traveled to Sétif to commemorate the victims of the colonial massacres. A French presidency statement confirmed the visit reflects “the President’s commitment to addressing France-Algeria relations with honesty and respect for all shared memories.”
The statement acknowledged that “while the French celebrated their liberation, demonstrations in Sétif, Guelma, and Kherrata were brutally suppressed over several weeks, causing thousands of victims,” adding: “This is our shared history, and France honors itself by confronting and acknowledging it.”
France’s Ambassador to Algeria accompanied the minister throughout the visit and is set to resume bilateral cooperation efforts across various sectors.
