French Government enacts colonial war legislation

The French Government's 12-day state of emergency swung into action last night in an attempt to curb almost two weeks of rioting across the country.

The declaration, including the imposition of curfews and house searches, is the first time a law harking back to the 1955 Algerian war has been invoked on the mainland.

Although Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy stressed after a special Cabinet meeting that the tough new powers would be used "parsimoniously", there was widespread political criticism of the move and left-wing mayors threatened to flout the curfews declared by regional officials.

Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced a raft of social policies aimed at balancing the repressive measures.

But he was criticised for lack of sensitivity for invoking the Algerian war law when the majority of youths involved in the riots originated there.

Many of the youths living on the estates are of North African origin, and the Algerian independence war has been a taboo subject for decades.

Human rights organisations and leading opposition parties said that the reminder of the conflict was unwise.

Former Socialist minister Jack Lang noted that the law had a particular connotation, asking: "Was it necessary to use this on neighbourhoods where the children and grandchildren of the colonial period live?"

After being applied in Algeria, the emergency law has only ever been used once before, in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, in 1985.

It contains provisions for two-month jail sentences or a fine for those who breach the curfew.

Sarkozy explained the Government would not invoke some of the provisions which enable authorities to control press or broadcast media.

The state of emergency can only be extended beyond 12 days if approved by Parliament.

Amiens was the first city to enforce the overnight curfew for youths aged under 16, with more following.

A mayor in the Paris region had jumped the gun by announcing a curfew in Rancy on Monday, but it was not enforced by police.

Villepin defended the policy, telling the National Assembly "it is the moment of truth for the Republic."

Although the ruling UMP party hailed the policy as "an exceptional measure for an exceptional situation", the centre-right mayor of Drancy, Jean-Christophe Lagarde, said that in his region outside Paris the situation had already begun to ease without the introduction of "extreme measures".

The Communist party and Greens were flatly opposed to the measure.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, who leads the Socialist group in Parliament, accused the Government, and particularly Sarkozy, of "bearing a heavy responsibility for inflaming passions".

Sarkozy's comments about "hosing down" estates to clean them of "scum" are held as contributing to the riots.

His popularity does not appear dented, however, and President Jacques Chirac is unlikely to fire Sarkozy, to avoid an impression of giving into the rioters.

- INDEPENDENT