Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Thursday that the state-run Algerian Press Service reported and that the French media arrived in Algeria’s capital, Algeria, on Friday afternoon.
France colonized Algeria after a seven-year war from 1830 to its independence in 1962, but resistance against the occupation flared many times over the previous century.
The president said the remains of several leaders of the resistance movements were among those who returned.
There are also allies of the Islamic preacher Emir Abdelkader, who ruled a group of tribes in a long fight against the French forces in the middle of the 19th century.
“Algeria is determined to bring the remains of other expelled martyrs back to their homeland,” said APS’s Tebboune.
He added that the movement “perfectly reflects our sacred respect for our martyrs and symbols and our commitment to never give up any part of our historical and cultural heritage”.
According to local media reports, French President Emmanuel Macron said for the first time that he was ready to bring back a series of skulls from Algerian resistance fighters on his first visit to the country in 2017.
“I wanted to include France in a historical and ambitious reform of reform between West Africa’s economic and monetary union and our country. We do this for African youth,” Macron wrote.
Recent anti-racist protests have forced some major European countries to face their colonial past, and many campaigners have asked for the removal of statues and other public imperialist celebrations.
