Algeria revives French references in national anthem

By Hassan Jibril

ALGIERS, Algeria (AA) – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has signed a decree on reusing the reference to France in the national anthem after decades.

According to the decree published in the official gazette last month, the national anthem of Algeria should be performed in its “entirety,” which includes all five verses, during official events such as commemorations, celebrations, and other occasions.

The new presidential decree specifies the official activities in which the national anthem will be played in full.

The national anthem "Qesma" was written by poet Mufdi Zakaria in his cell during the liberation revolution (1954/1962), and was adopted as the official anthem of the state after independence in 1962.

The French part of the anthem was not used since 1986 to avoid political difficulties with Paris when the North African nation was struggling with economic difficulties.

The verse says: “O France, the time of reproof is over, and we have ended it as a book is ended; O France, this is the day of reckoning, so prepare to receive from us our answer!"

Algeria remained under French occupation for 132 years since 1830, until it gained independence in 1962 after eight years of war.

“It was the French authorities who asked the Algerian regime to cut this passage in previous cases,” Abderrazak Makri, leader of the opposition party the Movement of Society for Peace, said on Facebook last week.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul