By: Julia Jose

In the recent times, the France Far Right National Rally has won resounding victory in the first round of parliamentary election. The factor for emergence of Far Rights movements comes as the perception that is built around the Africans and Afro-Americans in South America being the major threats and cause of all problems. The historical presence of European colonial powers in Africa has led to ethnic differences, nationalist sentiments and animosity towards the West. Colonial injustices come across as the major reason for conflicts, migration and instability from Africa. The Far-Right movements exploit these concerns to promote nativism and protectionism. Far Right movements consider Africa as burden to western civilization and advocates stringent border control, reduced assistance and limited engagement with the continent. There are significant concerns as there are some African nations who consider themselves as superior to others, they mirror Europe by coming up with stringent border control against their fellow Africans. This undermines the effort to establish solidarity between Africa and West which hampers peace and development between both the nations.

Historical Background

The modern-day People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria is now a sovereign state in North Africa. Before 1962, Algeria was a French colony, dating back to French invasion of Algiers in 1830. Following a brutal conquest, France began the policy of civilising the North African colony. Algerians who rejected the Sharia law and accepted French law were allowed to vote for these representatives. In 1954, Front De Liberation Nationale waged a war against France to gain independence. The conflict was devastating enough to bring the collapse of fourth republic in France and the rise of fifth republic headed by Charles De Gaulle. Finally on March 18, 1962 the Evian accords were signed which led to formation of Algeria and end of 8-year long war. A large majority of Arab population had second rate status, not as citizens.

French Algerians

French Algeria refers to period between 1830 to 1962 when Algeria was under brutal French colonial regime. Once Algeria gained Independence, French settlers who had to leave North America still fantasized regarding the glory of that period and what would have been if Algeria was never liberated. Jean Marie Le Pen, proponent of French Algeria and leading figure during battle of Algiers in 1957 was involved in tortures and war crimes according to several investigations.

Who is OAS?

The Organisation Arme secrete, it was formed in Madrid in 1961, by a group of activists for French Algeria, including student leaders Pierre Lagaillarde and Jean-Jacques Susini. Raoul Salan was a French military officer who prevented Algeria from gaining independence from France and came up with an organization of right-wing extremist called Organization De Armee Secrete [OAS] in campaign of terror against government of Charles De Gaulle in both France and Algeria. OAS later on accelerated the breakdown of French Algeria and the departure of French. OAS violence impacted the neighbourhood with mortar shells and snipers.

In 2021, France decided to cut by half the visas which led to diplomatic crisis with the Algerians. It also came across as the year when 63,000 visas were granted compared to 200,000 and 400,000 in the previous years. Back in 1962, French had decided to come up with National office for Algerian Labor [ONAMO] for selection of workers in Algeria. ONAMO was followed by 1964 Nekkache-Grandval labour agreement and it also had the objective of limiting the Algerians to France

It was also observed that more applicants are rejected in Algeria, whereas more than 392,000 applicants were rejected in 2022.Visa rejections were basically used as a tool by the European governments including France to deport those who entered Europe without proper authorization. Recently in the course of elections far rights have proposed to return those classified as criminals, security risks and unemployed back to Algeria.

Different Perceptions if Far Right comes into power

If the National Rally comes into power either it will implement immigration program and carries out mass deportation of illegal immigrants to basically dismantle the 1968 agreement that binds Algeria to France and to satisfy the electorate. Algerian sociologist Nasser Jabi confirmed that the rise of far rights will be first experience in the history of relation between Algeria and France.

Driencourt is of view that if far rights come to power, then they will abrogate the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement, and will not compensate the victims of French nuclear test in the Algerian desert and not observe the anniversary of October 17, 1961 massacre of Algerians in Paris.

Initiatives of Cooperation

Three day visit comes in less then two months after Algeria marks six decades of Independence following 132 years of French colonial rule and the eight-year war. Three day visit symbolises European powers need to replace Russian energy imports from Africa and to increase its clout in Sahel and North Africa. In 2022, Algeria and France established a joint commission, an initiative by Emmanuel Macron for fair treatment in memory of two states. In the Algerian war of independence, 300,000 to 1.5 million people which entailed combatants as well as civilians are supposed to have died. Algerians have also sought financial reparations with respect to French nuclear test conducted in Sahara . Algeria and French signed an agreement with respect to retrieval of Algerian archives from the period of French colonization. Algeria insists on addressing four main concerns with France. Firstly complete retrieval of the archives, remains of skulls and  remains of resistance fighters, compensation for victims of nuclear test and clean up of land contaminated by nuclear radiation and disclose the fate of missing. In November 2023, the two countries agreed to return 2 million digitized documents related to looted possessions and colonial period.

Conclusion

If RN government comes into power, then migration issue will be their priority with respect to Algeria. Emergence of far rights can strain the relations between Algeria and France considering their colonial trauma and struggle but, in the meantime, both the countries can work on mutual aspects to correct the historical struggle and resolve the tensions between them. Cooperation between both the countries will allow the natives of different culture and ethnicity to live in the country with peace and it will also keep up West’s whole notion of Multiculturalism, rules-based order and liberal values in all aspects. Continuing and enhanced cooperation between intelligence agencies, NGOs and community activists is necessary for addressing this critical threat.