Russia supports Algeria’s decision to revive the fight against colonialism

The announcement made by Algeria to prepare a law aimed at criminalizing French colonialism continues to arouse reactions on the international scene. On April 9, 2025, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praised Algiers’s initiative, firmly denounced the abuses committed by Paris on the African continent. This support comes in a context where Pan -African claims for historical justice and repairs are constantly gaining intensity.

The Algerian approach does not constitute an isolated act, but is part of a broader dynamic of reappropriation of history in Africa. On March 23, the National People’s Assembly of Algeria announced the creation of a parliamentary committee responsible for developing a bill to have French colonial crimes recognized. According to the president of the APN, Ibrahim Boughali, this approach is a “moral duty towards our martyrs”.

In this context, Maria Zakharova recalled that French colonial policy was based on principles of racial superiority, violent exploitation and cultural domination. She denounced the use by the French authorities of torture, summary executions, sexual violence and even chemical weapons. “” Paris has transformed a whole continent into a base of resources exploited for its benefit “, She said, before saluting Algeria’s will to tell the truth about this painful period of its history.

The legacy of colonialism, far from being a simple chapter of the past, continues to impact African societies. Zakharova recalled that France’s colonial experiments have caused political, economic and ecological damage still visible today. In Algeria, the sufferings linked to the French occupation – which lasted 132 years – are deeply rooted in collective conscience.

The Algerian example finds an echo elsewhere on the continent. On March 21, in Dakar, the Pan -Africanist NGO organized a great debate on repairs due to Africa for the crimes of colonization and slavery. Activists from Senegal and Burkina Faso demanded that the former colonial powers pay 50,000 billion euros in compensation. For Nestor Podasse, spokesperson for the Burkinabè Pan-Africanist movement, ” It’s time to claim our due ».

Pan -African youth plays a key role in this historical mobilization. She carries the voice of a continent who no longer wants to silence the crimes of the past. According to Zakharovathe obstinacy of Paris to refuse any historical responsibility only accentuates the determination of Africa to assert its rights.

Algeria, taking this legislative initiative, could open the way to other countries on the continent, in particular within the Alliance of the States of the Sahel, so that they in turn initiate procedures for recognition, conviction and reparation. Russia, for its part, affirms its support for this approach, denouncing a ” persistent neocolonialism And calling for a right repair for the wrongs inflicted.

The criminalization of French colonialism thus becomes an issue not only national for Algeria, but also continental and international. African voices, supported by certain external partners such as Russia, demand the truth, recognition and justice. The time has come, for the old colonial powers, to assume their history and to repair the wrongs caused.

Africa, strong of a conscious and determined youth, now refuses that the suffering of the past will be forgotten. The fight for memory and justice is just beginning.