Reggane nuclear bombings… a memory wound that never heals – Algerian Al-Hiwar newspaper

Today, Friday, Algeria commemorates the sixty-sixth anniversary of the nuclear explosions carried out by colonial France on its territory, a described crime against humanity that has no statute of limitations, and its health, environmental and humanitarian repercussions still exist today, remaining a disgrace on the record of French colonialism.

The first of these bombings dates back to February 13, 1960 in the Reggane region of Adrar Province, under the name “Blue Jerboa,” where France detonated a nuclear bomb with a power of 70,000 tons of explosives, equivalent to five times the Hiroshima bomb. This marked the beginning of a series of nuclear tests that included approximately 57 explosions, leaving devastating effects whose radioactive fingerprints are still buried under the sand.

Commemorating this anniversary represents a point of homage to the souls of the victims, and a reminder of a historical responsibility that has not yet been settled, in light of Algeria’s adherence to its legitimate right to reveal the full truth and obtain recognition and justice. In this context, the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, stressed on more than one occasion that the memory issue remains “a non-negotiable sovereign issue,” stressing that Algeria’s building of its present and its aspiration toward sustainable development does not mean giving up its right to preserve its national memory.

Despite decades having passed since these crimes, France, according to what Algeria confirms, is still reluctant to hand over maps and technical documents related to nuclear waste burial sites, which hinders efforts to address the effects of radioactive contamination and protect the affected population.

In this context, Algeria has strengthened its legal system related to the preservation of national memory, through initiatives that confirm that documented colonial crimes require recognition and justice, as they are a historical right that cannot be forgotten or inalienable.

Algerian experts and specialists also continue their efforts to refute allegations that reduce the extent of human and environmental damage and losses, stressing that the effects of radiation are still affecting the residents of the affected areas, in light of renewed demands to bear historical, legal and moral responsibility.

Algeria affirms, at every opportunity, that the legacy of nuclear explosions will not be forgotten by silence or by statute of limitations, and that the national memory will remain a living witness to a crime that requires frank recognition and a fair treatment that preserves the dignity of the victims and the rights of generations.