Évian Accords

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The Évian Accords were signed on March 18, 1962 in Évian-les-Bains, France. They were signed by France and the F.L.N. (Front de Libération nationale), putting an end to the war in Algeria with a formal cease-fire proclaimed for March 19, and formalizing the idea of cooperative exchange between the two countries. Then-French president Charles de Gaulle wanted to maintain French interests in the area, including industrial and commercial primacy and control over Saharan oil reserves. In addition, the European French community (the colon population) in Algeria was guaranteed religious freedom and property rights as well as French citizenship with the option to choose between French and Algerian citizenship after three years. In exchange, Algeria received access to technical assistance and financial aid from the French government. Algerians were permitted to continue freely circulating between their country and France for work, although they would not have equal political rights to French citizens. The OAS right-wing movement opposed the negotiations through a series of bombings and an assassination attempt, at Le Petit Clamart, against general de Gaulle.