Victory Day: Members of Algerian community established in France express attachment to homeland, castigate henchmen, traitors
By: Hana Saada
PARIS – Members of the Algerian community established in France organized, on Sunday, a rally in the heart of the French capital to celebrate Victory Day (March 19), express their attachment to their motherland and salute the achievements made in the favor of the program of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Brandishing the national flag and chanting slogans of support and pride in belonging to their motherland on this day, which is of historic symbolism, these Algerians, women and men, gathered en masse in a public square in Paris, to express their attachment to “national sovereignty” and castigate “the henchmen and traitors” who are plotting against their own country.
“Long live Algeria”, “Long live President Tebboune”, “Long live the People’s National Army” and “Glory to our martyrs”, it is with these slogans that the members of the Algerian community paid tribute to their country by brandishing portraits of National Liberation War chouhadas and symbols of the National Resistance and by singing the national anthem.
Algerian artistic and media personalities and activists had appealed to the national community established in France to participate, on Sunday, in a demonstration in Paris with a view to expressing the attachment of members of the national diaspora established abroad to their motherland and defending “the national sovereignty and the interests of the country, but also to forming a united front against conspirators and traitors, henchmen of enemy parties”.
Victory Day, March 19, 1962, is commemorated in tribute to the diplomatic battle fought and won by the Algerian people. In other words, the entry into force of the ceasefire after seven years of ruthless war.
Victory Day: March 19, 62, a memorable day that ushered in a new era
Algeria celebrates, this Sunday, Victory Day marking the 61st anniversary of the ceasefire of March 19, 1962, a memorable day that ushered in a new era for a people determined to remain free and independent.
This day heralded a new era, that of the self-determination of a people who succeeded in imposing their will and achieving their independence, by paying a heavy price, in the face of an occupier who believed itself invincible.
The ceasefire came into effect on this historic date, after the signing, on March 18, 1962, of the Evian Accords between representatives of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) and those of the French Government.
According to historians, the outbreak of the armed struggle on November 1, 1954 never closed the door to negotiations for the independence of Algeria, the first contacts between the National Liberation Front (FLN), the unique representative of the Revolution, and the French Government, having secretly begun in 1956, in particular within the framework of the informal talks between the external delegation of the FLN and the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christian Pineau.
After a first contact in Cairo, the two parties met on July 26, 1956, in Yugoslavia where the Algerian delegation was led by Mohammed Yazid and Ahmed Francis, while the French party was led by Pierre Commin.
The first round of negotiations between the two delegations ended in failure in June 1960 when the French government demanded the surrender of the National Liberation Army, a request rejected by the GPRA (Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic).
On December 11, 1960, popular demonstrations in Algeria urged the United Nations General Assembly to put the Algerian question on its agenda, forcing the French side, under international pressure, to return to the negotiating table.
Formal talks continued for a year until the ceasefire was declared
The Algerian delegation to the Evian negotiations was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA), Krim Belkacem, while the French delegation was led by Louis Joxe. There were two rounds of negotiations in Evian.
And after bitter negotiations, led by an Algerian delegation, convinced of the rightness of the national cause, the total independence of Algeria was recognized.
The ceasefire took effect on March 19, 1962, followed by the holding of a self-determination referendum on July 1, during which Algerians voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence, which was proclaimed on July 5, 1962.
This precious independence was not an end in itself, as the president of the GPRA, Benyoucef Benkhedda, had affirmed in his speech to the Algerian people on March 18, 1962, announcing the end of military operations, that “independence is not an end in itself, but only a means which will allow the transformation of the situation of our people”.
“Our mission is to build a new society that reflects the image of young free Algeria, Algeria that every citizen is called upon to build”, he stressed, adding that “all these missions encourage us to redouble our efforts and to be vigilant to thwart the maneuvers of provocateurs and sowers of discord”.
Loyal to this approach, the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune reiterated, Saturday, his determination to build a strong Algeria through the revaluation of efforts and work, and to consolidate the foundations of the national security, stressing that “our attachment to the unity of the ranks” has led to achievements.
In a message sent to Algerians on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of Victory Day, President Tebboune reiterated his “determination to build a strong Algeria through the revaluation of efforts and work, and to consolidate the foundations of the country’s security,” saying he was convinced that “what we have achieved together is the result of our commitment to the unity of ranks, and our will to combine efforts.”
The President of the Republic said that “the celebration of the Victory Day is a renewed opportunity from which we draw energy to fight the aspects of misery, put us on the path of sustainable socio-economic and cultural development, and engage effectively in the enhancement of partnerships with brotherly countries and friends.”
In this regard, he stressed that this approach was based on “the geographical location of our country and its weight in the current balance of power at regional and international levels, underpinned by a vision based on the pooling of interests in economic and investment, and the revival of military and security cooperation to preserve the constants of the nation and the pride of the people.
“Algeria has taken significant steps that are reflected, internally, by economic indicators, development indicators, and the funds allocated to social transfers to address the last remnants of vulnerability and injustice, once the file of remote areas is closed,” wrote President Tebboune.
Internationally, “they are reflected in the position of the country as well as the key role it plays, being proud of its historical glory and relying on its capabilities, but also on a creative youth enamored of modernity and in tune with new technologies, a youth that deserves the leadership.”
