Évian Accords

The Évian Accords comprise a treaty which was signed in 1962 in Évian-les-Bains, France by France and the F.L.N. (Front de Libération nationale). The Accords put an end to the Algerian War with a formal cease-fire proclaimed for March 19, and formalized 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 against General de Gaulle at Le Petit Clamart.

The agreements included an article which stated that "Algeria concedes to France the use of certain air bases, terrains, sites and military installations which are necessary to it ." The agreement specifically permitted France to maintain its naval facilities at Mers El Kébir (which also had an underground nuclear testing facility) for another fifteen years; in the event, however, France chose to withdraw from the base in 1967, after only five years.