Algeria marks 60 years of independence with military parade

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria is celebrating 60 years of independence from France with nationwide ceremonies, a pardon of 14,000 prisoners and its first military parade in years. The events on Tuesday mark the country’s official July 5, 1962 declaration of independence after a brutal seven-year war which ended 132 years of colonial rule. The war killed at least 1.5 million people and remains a point of tension in relations between Algeria and France. Former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika abandoned holding military parades, but his successor, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, revived the tradition for this year’s anniversary. The military show of force is taking place amid growing tensions between Algeria and Morocco over the disputed Western Sahara region.