On Friday, Emmanuel Macron recognized that the leader of the National Liberation Front (FLN), Larbi Ben M’hidi, was “assassinated by French soldiers” on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the November 1, 1954, insurrection that sparked the Algerian War.
Larbi Ben M’hidi, who died in 1957, was “assassinated by French soldiers,” acknowledged Emmanuel Macron on Friday, November 1, marking the 70th anniversary of the November 1, 1954, insurrection that opened the Algerian War.
The French President had words for the Algerian FLN leader, describing him as a “national hero” for his country. In a statement from the Élysée, he noted that Ben M’hidi, one of the six leaders of the November 1, 1954 insurrection, was assassinated by French soldiers “under the command of General Aussaresses.”
Often portrayed by his compatriots as the “Algerian Jean Moulin,” the FLN leader was killed in 1957 by General Paul Aussaresses, who confessed this at the beginning of the 2000s, contradicting the official account which had disguised his death as a suicide attempt.
Emmanuel Macron’s acknowledgment of this execution comes at a time when tensions between France and Algeria are high, particularly following a significant state visit to Morocco.
“Thinking of Future Generations”
“The acknowledgment of this assassination confirms that the work of historical truth, initiated by the President of the Republic with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, will continue,” the statement emphasizes, noting that Macron’s goal is “to achieve a shared and peaceful memory.”
“It is also with future generations in mind that the Head of State feels it his duty, once again, to seek paths for the reconciliation of memories between the two countries,” the Élysée notes.
Born in 1923 near Aïn M’lila, in the Aurès (northeast), Larbi Ben M’hidi was responsible for the “Autonomous Zone of Algiers since 1956” during the “Battle of Algiers,” the statement recalls, adding that “as the President of the Republic has already recognized for Maurice Audin and Ali Boumendjel, this repression was accompanied by the establishment of a system outside the framework of Human Rights and citizenship, enabled by the parliamentary vote of ‘special powers’.”
This measure at the time “gave the government carte blanche to restore order in Algeria, allowing the adoption of a decree authorizing the delegation of police powers to the military, first in Algiers, then throughout Algeria, in 1957,” he explains.
A man of conviction, Ben M’hidi’s courage and sharp mind earned him respect even from his adversaries. In the statement, the French presidency pays homage to him, stating that “the French soldiers who knew him by reputation were impressed by his charisma and courage.”
Upon his arrest on February 23, Ben M’hidi was paraded before the press, his hands bound with handcuffs, yet he remained smiling and serene in front of French paratroopers.
