Article author:
Associated Press
Algeria, The Associated Press (AP) — Algeria will celebrate its 60-year independence from France on Tuesday with a national ceremony, a forgiveness of 14,000 prisoners, and a military parade for the first time in years.
This event indicates that the country officially declared independence on July 5, 1962, after the brutal Seven Years' War, which ended 132 years of colonial rule. The war, which killed at least 1.5 million people, remains a source of tension in relations between Algeria and France.
"The Glory Day of the New Era" is the official slogan of the celebration, including concerts, sporting events, lectures and photo exhibitions that trace the horrors of war.
City workers carry the Algerian flag and portraits of war heroes, and public square speakers broadcast patriotic songs.
Former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika abandoned the military parade, but his successor, President Abdelaziz Boutebun, has revived the tradition of this year's anniversary.
As tensions rise between Algeria and Morocco over the conflicting Western Sahara region, military show of force is underway.
Teboon is expected to engage in talks with political leaders in recent months. Opposition figures and those involved in the 2019 anti-democratic movement that helped Bouteflika overthrow were not invited to talks.
On Monday, the president signed a decree announcing amnesty for thousands of prisoners. It orders prisoners suffering from medical problems to be released or reduced in sentence.
It was not immediately clear whether political prisoners, including those involved in Hilak's protests, were among the liberated.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas leaders, and Presidents of Tunisia, Niger, Congo, and Ethiopia were expected to attend the commemorative event on Tuesday.
