Algerian President: For a unified front on 60th ann. of independence

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Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called on "the Algerian people, at this crucial stage of our history, to assemble, close ranks and unify the internal front."

He stressed that this aims to "win the battle of renewal", in order to achieve the desired aspirations in "a strong, proud and secure Algeria, as desired by our brave martyrs."

Tebboune's statement was published Sunday in the Army magazine of the Ministry of Defense in its July issue, and the release of the piece by Tebboune, who also serves as Minister of Defense, coincided with the country's 60th anniversary of independence.

"On this glorious anniversary, during which we remember the heroic deeds of our predecessors  and celebrate the resistance and victories of our people, I call on the Algerian people in this crucial and decisive phase of our history to assemble, close ranks, and unify the internal front, to win the battle of the renewal that we are leading, to take up the challenges and materialize our aspirations and our objectives for a strong, proud and secure Algeria, as desired by our brave Chouhada (martyrs)."

He continued, "I am convinced that the Algerian people, who were able to defeat one of the greatest colonial powers and to recover the national sovereignty, are today able to face all the challenges and to build the new Algeria”. 

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History of a liberated state 

On March 18th, 1962, after close to eight years of war between Algerian revolutionaries and the French colonial army, fighting ceased after the signing of the historic Evian accords, which paved the way toward the announcement of Algeria's independence on July 5 that same year.

Algerians took part in a referendum a few days before the announcement, with 99.72% taking part to vote on their independence.

The Algerian War of Independence left behind hundreds of thousands of dead, making Algeria the only former French colony in Africa that freed itself from France by force.

Read next: Algeria: Dotting the I’s in France’s colonial history