France to return 19th-century Algerian rebel remains

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the restitution of 37 skulls of Algerian insurgents killed by the French army in the second half of the 19th century, currently held at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris. Algeria has long demanded the return of these remains, considered those of ordinary citizens deserving proper burial, not archaeological artifacts. The request was supported by many French and Algerian intellectuals but ignored until now. Macron's declaration comes ahead of his first official visit to Algeria, signaling a détente in often tense bilateral relations. He had previously called colonization a 'crime against humanity' during his campaign, angering the French right and far-right. In exchange, Macron asks Algeria to resolve the status of the Harkis, Algerian soldiers who fought for France during the Algerian War (1954-1962) and are banned from returning to Algeria, a ban extending to subsequent generations. Most Harkis live in France with integration challenges. The gesture echoes conceptual debates about body, art, and musealization, as referenced by artist Daniel Buren in his refusal to participate in Skulpture Projekte 2017, critiquing the idea of preserving tattooed body parts as museum objects.