The memorial day of September 25th, established 23 years ago, was celebrated in La Seyne-sur-Mer. This date recognizes the sacrifices and abuses suffered by Harkis, Moghaznis, and personnel from various auxiliary and assimilated formations who were engaged in service to France during the Algerian War (1954-1962).
In front of the War Memorial, Mayor Dorian Munoz saluted this commitment. He recalled that 'each September 25th, the French Republic rekindles the flame of remembrance to state, loud and clear, the truth of a history: that of women and men who, caught in the turmoil of a deeply divisive war, chose France.' He emphasized the courage and dedication of these fighters who served under the French uniform with loyalty.
The first magistrate then spoke of the 'tragedy of immense scale' that struck these men and their families after the Évian Accords in March 1962. Forgotten by the treaties and abandoned by the authorities of the time, many paid with their lives for their attachment to France. For those who managed to reach France, the welcome was that of transit camps and forest hamlets, places of confinement and relegation.
'For too many decades, silence weighed upon their fate. A heavy silence, marked by shame and indifference,' he recalled. The mayor urged the transmission of this memory to the younger generations, 'so that the memory of what the Harkis experienced may never fade' and to ensure that the words of liberty, equality, and fraternity always find their full resonance.
Dorian Munoz concluded the ceremony by laying a wreath, accompanied by his deputies Mathieu Perchoc and Jean-Claude Houlné.
