The blood of the Harkis contributed to the greatness of France

This flag flying on masts and public monuments is soaked in the blood of the Harkis, and this blood contributes to the history of the nation, to its construction, to its greatness. Bowing with respect, in tribute, is to express the awareness we maintain of the inestimable cost of the commitment of these men, of their extraordinary merit. France was slow to give a legitimate status to these auxiliaries of its armies. It was not until December 9, 1974, for the Harkis to obtain veteran status and July 23, 2010, for this provision to also apply to those who remained in Algérie. In 2003, the initiative of the President of the République, Jacques Chirac, was for a day of tribute to be included in the national remembrance calendar. In April 2012, France, through the words of President Nicolas Sarkozy, recognized the responsibility of the French government in the abandonment of the Harkis after the end of the Algérie war in 1962.