Évian Accords

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Évian Accords
FLN delegation. From left to right: Taïeb Boulahrouf, Saâd Dahlab, Mohamed Seddik Benyahia, Krim Belkacem, Benmostefa Benaouda, Redha Malek, Lakhdar Bentobal, M'Hamed Yazid and Seghir Mostefaï.
Signed18 March 1962 (1962-03-18)
LocationÉvian-les-Bains, France
Signatories
Parties
LanguagesFrench

The Évian Accords were a set of peace treaties signed on 18 March 1962 in Évian-les-Bains, France, by France and the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic, the government-in-exile of FLN (Front de Libération Nationale), which sought Algeria's independence from France. The Accords ended the 1954–1962 Algerian War with a formal cease-fire proclaimed for 19 March and formalized the status of Algeria as an independent nation and the idea of cooperative exchanges between the two countries.

Content of Évian Accords

The Évian Accords consisted of 93 pages of detailed agreements and arrangements. In essence these covered cease-fire arrangements, prisoner releases, the recognition of full sovereignty and right to self-determination of Algeria, in addition to guarantees of protection, non-discrimination and property rights for all Algerian citizens. A section dealing with military issues provided for the withdrawal of French forces over a period of two years, with the exception of those garrisoning the French military base of Mers El Kébir. Other provisions pledged that there would be no sanctions for any acts committed prior to the ceasefire.

French President

pieds-noirs and indigenous Sephardi Jews in Algeria were guaranteed religious freedom and property rights as well as French citizenship with the option to choose between French and Algerian citizenship after three years. In exchange, Algeria received access to technical assistance and financial aid from the French government. Algerians were permitted to continue freely circulating between their country and France for work, although they would not have political rights equal to French citizens. The OAS right-wing movement opposed the negotiations through a series of bombings and an assassination attempt against De Gaulle at Clamart
in Paris in August 1962.

The agreements included an article which stated that "Algeria concedes to France the use of certain air bases, terrains, sites and military installations which are necessary to it." The agreement specifically permitted France to maintain its naval base at

facilities for underground nuclear testing in the Sahara; France withdrew from the base in 1967, only five years after the agreement.[1]

The vote

In a referendum held on 8 April 1962, the French electorate approved the Accords, with almost 91% in favour. The final result was 17,866,423 in favour of Algerian independence, and 1,809,074 against.[2]

On 1 July, the Accords were subject to a

second referendum in Algeria, where with 5,975,581 voted for independence and just 16,534 against.[3]
De Gaulle pronounced Algeria an independent country on 3 July.

The negotiators

Algerian delegation
French delegation

Outcome of Agreements

The historian

harkis
) with the French Army was in direct contravention of the amnesty provisions of the treaty.

See also

  • Fifth French Republic
  • France in the twentieth century

References

  1. ^ Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962
  2. ^ france-politique.fr
  3. ^ "Proclamation des résultats du référendum d'autodétermination du 1er juillet 1962" (PDF). Journal Officiel de l'État Algérien. 6 July 1962. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
  4. '

Bibliography