Algiers is hosting a conference on November 30 and December 1, focusing on addressing «colonial crimes in Africa». This event has been strategically used by the Algerian authorities to champion the Polisario's cause. «We must remain vigilant in our mission to completely eradicate colonialism by supporting Africa's last colony, Western Sahara. It is imperative to stand in solidarity with the Sahrawis as they pursue their legitimate right to self-determination, a right consistently upheld by international law and the UN's decolonization principles», declared Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf during his opening remarks. Backed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the conference is part of the Oran process, an annual initiative held between November and December aimed at persuading the three African nations on the UN Security Council to support the Polisario. This year, Algiers has introduced the theme of «colonial crimes in Africa», fulfilling a proposal made by President Tebboune at the African Union summit last February. Sixty-three years post-independence, the Algerian government continues to invoke the issue of colonialism, especially during diplomatic tensions with France. In April 2025, amid a diplomatic standoff with Paris, Algiers revived the draft law on the criminalization of colonization. Initially introduced in February 2001, the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives has revisited the draft, though its adoption remains indefinitely delayed.
