What did the 1962 referendum decide about Algeria’s future?

The 1962 referendum held in Algeria in July was the decisive step that confirmed the country's independence from France. Following the Évian Accords, which established the terms for peace and self-determination, the referendum recorded approximately 6,000,000 votes in favor of independence and only 16,000 against. This vote led to the formal proclamation of independence for Muslim Algeria later that month.12

It is important to clarify that while the July 1962 referendum in Algeria finalized the independence process, Charles de Gaulle also utilized a separate legislative referendum in April 1962 to approve the Évian Accords themselves. These actions were part of a broader strategy of self-determination that de Gaulle pursued after realizing that Algeria could not be fully integrated into the French identity.321