French forces "tortured and murdered" Algerian freedom fighter Ali Boumendjel during his country's war for independence, President Emmanuel Macron admitted Tuesday, officially reappraising a death that was covered up as a suicide.

Macron made the admission "in the name of France" during a meeting with Boumendjel's grandchildren.

The move comes after Macron stoked outrage in January when he refused to issue an official apology for abuses committed during the occupation of Algeria.

Instead, he agreed to form a "truth commission" as recommended by a report commissioned by the government to shed light on France's colonial past.

Atrocities committed by both sides during the 1954-1962 Algerian war of independence continue to strain relations between the countries.

Boumendjel, a nationalist and lawyer, was arrested during the battle of Algiers by the French army, "placed incommunicado, tortured, and then killed on 23 March 1957," the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

"Ali Boumendjel did not commit suicide. He was tortured and then killed," Macron told Boumendjel's grandchildren, according to the statement.

It is not the first time the real cause of death was acknowledged.

In 2000, the former head of French intelligence in Algiers Paul Aussaresses confessed to ordering Boumendjel's death and disguising the murder as a suicide, according to the statement.

It added that Macron on Tuesday had also reiterated his desire to give families the opportunity to find out the truth about this chapter of history.

Last month, Boumendjel's niece Fadela Boumendjel-Chitour denounced what she called the "devastating" lie the French state had told about her uncle.

French historian Benjamin Stora, who wrote the government-commissioned report, has said there is a "never-ending memory war" between the two countries.

The report has been described by the Algerian government as "not objective" and falling "below expectations."

During his 2017 election campaign, Macron -- the first president born after the colonial period -- declared that the occupation of Algeria was a "crime against humanity".

He has since said there was "no question of showing repentance" or of "presenting an apology" for abuses committed in the North African country.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

US, Russia warships dock in strategic Sudan port2
Port Sudan, Sudan (AFP) March 1, 2021
A US warship docked in Sudan Monday a day after a Russian frigate arrived in the same key Red Sea port where Moscow is planning to establish a naval logistics base, an AFP correspondent said. The arrival of the guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill to Port Sudan follows Washington's delisting of Khartoum as state sponsors of terrorism, following the April 2019 ouster of strongman Omar al-Bashir. An expeditionary fast transport ship, the USNS Carson City, had already docked in the por ... read more