Documents from the Museum of Man and the French government, obtained by the American newspaper, revealed that 18 skulls were of uncertain origin, among the 24 skulls recovered by Algeria.
These skulls were returned under an agreement signed by the two governments on June 26, 2020, which included a 4-page appendix detailing the identities of the remains, according to Al-Hurra.
The document obtained by the "New York Times" showed that among the remains recovered by Algeria were imprisoned thieves, and three Algerian infantrymen who served in the French army.
Neither government has publicly acknowledged these facts as they seek to extract a "diplomatic advantage" from the recall, according to the New York Times.
And in July of 2020, the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, received a C-130 Hercules plane coming from France, carrying the remains of 24 Algerian fighters against French colonialism on board.
The plane landed at Algiers International Airport, after being escorted by fighters from the Algerian army, where the coffins received an official reception. They drew the Algerian national flag and were carried by soldiers from the guard of honor with 21 artillery rounds.
The American newspaper says that the process of France's return of these remains, which were on display in the Museum of Humanity, was accepted by Algeria, where the two countries celebrated the gesture as a milestone in their efforts to rebuild relations.
The Algerian government did not respond to The New York Times' requests for comment, and it remains unclear why it accepted some skulls that did not belong to popular resistance fighters, especially as it was highly critical of aspects of French President Emmanuel Macron's policy towards the country, at least until Snow melt in recent years.
Macron's office also declined to comment, redirecting questions to the Foreign Ministry, which said the list of the skulls returned was "approved by both parties."
Upon the handover in 2020, the French presidency stated that "this gesture is part of a process of friendship and healing of all wounds throughout our history."
She added, "This is the meaning of the work that the President of the Republic started with Algeria, which will continue with the respect of all in order to reconcile the memories of the French and Algerian peoples."
During a visit to Algeria in December 2017, President Macron pledged to return the Algerian human remains, which are in the Museum of Man of the National Museum of Natural History.
The American newspaper described the process as a "flawed return", which revealed a broader problem than returns, which are often "secret and muddled" and do not rise to the level of correcting the mistakes of the colonial era.
"Diplomatic issues prevailed over historical issues," said Catherine Maureen Desailly, the center-right French senator who has long worked to return mortal remains.
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