As the United States prepares to mark Independence Day on July 4th, it’s worth pausing to recognize another momentous date of liberation—July 5th, the anniversary of Algeria’s hard-won independence from French colonial rule in 1962.
Both the American Revolution (1775–1783) and Algeria’s fight for independence (1954–1962) were fuelled by aspirations for liberty, equality, and self-determination. In each, people resisted foreign domination to establish sovereign nations and secure their rights. Yet, it’s the differences between these two struggles that offer the most compelling reasons to honour Algeria’s lesser-known Independence Day.
The Algerian War of Independence was a fierce conflict between the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the French government. The war witnessed widespread violence and extraordinary atrocities on both sides, but it was the French military’s systematic use of crimes against humanity—including torture and indiscriminate reprisals against civilians—that became a chilling hallmark of colonial oppression in Africa.
While both American revolutionaries and FLN fighters battled against external control, Algeria’s indigenous population endured more than military occupation. Discriminatory policies, economic exploitation, and relentless political repression defined their daily life. Ironically, the legitimacy of the American independence movement was rooted less in grand universal ideals than in a rather parochial dispute over taxes—most infamously, the British tax on tea. The so-called “Boston Tea Party” of 1773 ignited resistance under the banner of “no taxation without representation,” setting forth a revolution whose celebrated rhetoric long surpassed its self-interested beginnings.
The magnitude of violence in Algeria, however, was incomparable with British colonial rule in the US: up to one million Algerians died and two million were displaced, whereas in the American Revolution, battlefield fatalities numbered about 6,000, with total casualties on both sides between 50,000 and 70,000.
Most crucially, the European settlers who claimed American “independence” were not the original inhabitants of the land. The lofty rhetoric of democratic ideals concealed a colonial legacy that brought devastation to Native American tribes. Through forced removals, broken treaties, and waves of disease, 90% of indigenous Americans lost their lands and lives—amounting to an estimated 45–55 million deaths in total. Moreover, slavery persisted in the US until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865, with the horrors of the Middle Passage alone claiming over two million lives and systemic violence impacting countless more. Political repression of African Americans continued until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and even today, many still face significant barriers to full participation in democracy. For those who survived these injustices, celebrations of American independence must sound deeply ironic.
Thus, by commemorating Algeria's struggle and achievements, we may foster a deeper understanding of the complex historical forces that have shaped our world. Let this alternative Independence Day serve as a moment to honor all who truly fought for freedom and justice—not only the celebrated founders such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, but also the often-overlooked liberators like Ben Bella, Djamila Bouhired, and Yacef Saadi.
May this day remind us of both the triumphs of revolution and the shameful atrocities committed by colonialists on both sides of the Atlantic. And, perhaps most importantly, let this comparison teach us that the real measure of moral courage lies not in what we personally gain, but in what we are willing to sacrifice so that freedom might one day be shared by all.
As Guinea's first president Ahmed Sékou Touré famously declared to Charles de Gaulle: "We prefer poverty in freedom to riches in slavery"—global justice remains a fragile ideal that every generation must defend anew, demanding that we must be ready to rise whenever it is threatened.
Happy Anniversary, Algeria!
#leadership #independenceday
(First published: 03.07.2023)