The North African state has stepped up demands for France to recognise the mistakes and wrongs of colonial rule, which ended in 1962 after a bloody war of independence.
“This is to remind our friends in France that there is no alternative but to recognise they made mistakes, they tortured and killed our people,” Bouteflika told thousands of supporters yesterday in the city of Setif, which suffered French repression in 1945.
Algeria says France massacred 45,000 Algerians who took to the streets to demand independence as Europe celebrated victory over Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945.
“People in this city (Setif) know better than anyone else what happened during the events of May 8, 1945, when Algerian people took to the streets to celebrate victory of the allies ... everybody knows how occupation forces received our people. They massacred them and killed them,” Bouteflika said.

Colonial French forces launched an air and ground offensive against several eastern cities in response to anti-French riots which killed some 100 Europeans.
According to the Algerian state, some 45,000 people died in the crackdown. European historians put the number at 15,000-20,000. Bouteflika urged Islamic militants yesterday to lay down their arms but said that Algeria will not offer an amnesty to everyone in exchange for ending more than a decade of violence.Human rights groups and families of victims of the conflict that has engulfed Algeria since 1992 fear a partial amnesty due to be voted on in a referendum on September 29 would result in the pardon of Islamists who killed civilians and soldiers.
“I extend my hand to those who are in the mountains to lay down their arms but I stress that there will be no general amnesty,” Bouteflika said.

The president is campaigning across the North African country ahead of a national referendum on whether a partial amnesty should be given to hundreds of armed militants.
Bouteflika says the “charter for peace and national reconciliation” will exclude militants involved in massacres, rape and explosions in public places. But legal proceedings will be dropped against rebels who had surrendered and against some still at large if they handed themselves in.
This is the third attempt by Algerian authorities to bring to an end an Islamic militant uprising which has cost 150,000-200,000 lives. Two previous laws gave exemption from prosecution for rebels and saw thousands surrender. The insurgency in Algeria began when the army stepped in and cancelled elections a now-banned radical Islamic party – the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) – was poised to win in 1992.                     – Reuters