French nuclear tests in Algeria: a long fight for recognition of the victims
It took nearly 14 years for the compensation procedure for victims of French nuclear tests to finally be translated into Arabic and accessible to Algerian residents. Between 1960 and 1966, France conducted 17 nuclear tests in the south of the Sahara, exposing several thousand people to radiation. However, there has never been an official census of victims, making it difficult to recognize their status.
Since 2010, French law has provided compensation for people suffering from illnesses caused by radioactivity. However, in Algeria, this approach is still little known. Only 66 files from Algerian residents were submitted to the French Committee for Compensation for Victims of Nuclear Tests (Civen), and only one person was recognized as a victim of the tests.
The Ican-France association, which campaigns for the abolition of nuclear weapons, put pressure on the French government so that the texts of the law be translated into Arabic. Finally, this request has been heard and the first documents are now available in Arabic. Jean-Marie Collin, campaign director at Ican-France, expresses his satisfaction with this progress, highlighting the lack of communication and relaying of information on the part of the French authorities and the French embassy in Algeria.
The translation into Arabic of the compensation procedure is a first step, but many obstacles remain for the victims of nuclear tests in southern Algeria. It is necessary to prove that one was in a specific location during a specific time period when the tests took place, which can be difficult for nomadic populations. In addition, recognition of illnesses caused by radioactivity is limited to the 23 types of cancer recognized by France, which can pose a problem for victims who suffer from other illnesses linked to the tests.
The victims’ families often find themselves alone in their efforts, while the Algerian state focuses more on the issue of nuclear waste left by France in the desert for decades. In 2021, Algeria established a National Agency for the rehabilitation of former French nuclear test and explosion sites in the south of the country, demonstrating its desire to confront this painful past.
Access to the compensation procedure in Arabic represents a small step forward, but it is essential to continue to raise awareness among the populations concerned and to facilitate the steps to obtain justice and reparation. The recognition of the victims of French nuclear tests in Algeria is a crucial step in the process of recognizing their suffering and their struggle for the truth.