Algeria endured long and brutal French rule, researcher says

Algeria is among the countries that endured prolonged and exceptionally harsh French colonial rule, according to political science researcher and anthropologist Hichem Daoud.

Speaking at the international conference “Neocolonialism and Global Inequality,” the researcher from the University of Algiers said colonial violence in Algeria was not limited to physical force but also took daily administrative, symbolic and psychological forms, News.Az reports, citing AZERTAC.

He noted that while torture inflicted visible physical wounds, sustained moral pressure and the denial of dignity left deep and lasting trauma in Algerian society.

Daoud added that during the colonial period, white French settlers were portrayed as bearers of superior culture, while Algerians were positioned lower both legally and symbolically. According to him, this hierarchy was not confined to political rhetoric but was reinforced through scientific and cultural mechanisms.

The researcher’s remarks underscore continuing scholarly debate about the long-term social and psychological consequences of colonial rule in North Africa.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada