Algeria marks 70 years since start of independence war with France

 

Supporters of Algeria's President Abdelmajid Tebboune celebrate his reelection victory outside a campaign headquarters in Algiers on September 8, 2024. [AFP]

Algeria marked the 70th anniversary of the launch of its war for independence from France with a military parade on Friday, as relations with their former colonial ruler sour again.

Military jets soared over the shimmering bay of Algiers, leaving contrails against the blue sky, as columns of troops marched past the city's largest mosque, drawing applause from thousands of spectators.

Algeria's bloody eight-year war for independence after more than a century of French rule began on November 1, 1954. Guerrillas from the National Liberation Front (FLN) mounted attacks on government buildings, leaving 10 people dead.

The ensuing war left half a million dead -- according to French figures -- or 1.5 million, according to the Algerians. Both sides agree the vast majority of blood spilt was Algerian.

It ended with the signing in March 1962 of the Evian Accords.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said the anniversary was an "opportunity to remind everyone that Algeria, which triumphed over colonialism yesterday, continues to achieve victories with confidence".

The commemoration was attended by the leaders of several regional countries -- Tunisia's Kais Saied, Mauritania's Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and the chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi.

Neighbouring Morocco, with which Algeria broke off relations after its normalisation of ties with Israel in 2021, was conspicuous by its absence.

Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front, which has fought an on-off war with Morocco since 1975 for the independence of now mainly Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara, watched from the stands.

After laying a wreath at the Martyrs' Monument, President Tebboune joined the parade in an open-top vehicle beside chief of staff General Said Chengriha, as a 70-gun salute echoed through the air.

In 2023, Algeria's military -- one of the largest in Africa -- saw its budget doubled to $22 billion. It received the same allocation for this year.

The military budget is expected to rise again in 2025 to $25 billion, with Russia remaining the main arms supplier.