Solemn tribute to the victims of the Oran massacre of July 5, 1962
64 years after the tragedy, a ceremony paid tribute to the hundreds of victims of July 5, 1962 in Oran.
On this Sunday, July 5, the commune commemorated the 64th anniversary of the Oran massacre. This event, which occurred on July 5, 1962, remains one of the darkest and most painful tragedies at the end of the French presence in Algérie.
The ceremony gathered families of victims, associations, and citizens who came to honor the memory of those who perished in circumstances of unprecedented violence.
It was held in the presence of Stéphane Rambaud, member of parliament for the 3rd constituency of Var, and Hervé Stassinos, mayor of Le Pradet and regional councilor.
A tragedy long kept in the shadows
Sixty-four years ago to the day, while the Évian accords raised hopes for a return to peace after years of conflict, the city of Oran plunged into horror. Hundreds of men, women, and children, mostly Europeans, were abducted, tortured, and massacred. Many victims were reported missing, leaving their families with nothing but the weight of an unbearable wait and an impossible grief.
For decades, this tragedy suffered from insufficient recognition in the national memory, leaving survivors and families of victims with a feeling of abandonment.
"The tribute paid aims to repair this neglect and to reaffirm that no nation can build a solid future by forgetting its dead or by turning its gaze away from its history," recalled Stéphane Rambaud.
An act of justice
More than just a remembrance, this day was intended as an act of justice toward those who suffered. Participants emphasized the importance of this gathering so that historical truth may be passed on to new generations.
"The purpose of remembering is not to maintain past grudges or divisions, but to recognize the facts, transmit history, and keep the truth alive against oblivion. This imperative of memory is part of an approach of respect and fidelity toward all victims, whose memory now fully belongs to the history of France."
Beyond the victims of the massacre, the ceremony paid tribute to all French people from Algérie. It evoked the pain of exile, the ordeal of being torn away from a homeland, and the trauma of uprooting that marked hundreds of thousands of families.
A special thought was addressed to the harkis and their families, whose tragic fate constitutes "one of the deepest wounds of this period." Their sacrifice and abandonment remain a dark page that the duty of memory must illuminate.
In conclusion, a call for vigilance was launched "in the face of all forms of hatred, violence, and fanaticism," emphasizing that the memory of past tragedies must serve as a lesson for the present and the future. The ceremony concluded with these words: "May the victims of July 5, 1962 in Oran never be forgotten."
Photos PRESSE AGENCE.