French nuclear crimes in Algeria When compensation and apology?

France speaks in international forums about human rights and the tragedies of minorities around the world, forgetting the crimes it caused during its colonization of many countries of the world.

Mohamed Kirat

A sign showing a danger sign near one of the French nuclear test sites in the Algerian desert.

While France honors traitors (harki as they are called in Algeria), the colonial state still ignores its nuclear crimes committed in the Algerian desert, and continues to ignore the official apology for what it inflicted on Algeria during 132 years of brutal colonialism that caused ignorance, poverty, injustice and tyranny.

France speaks in international forums about human rights and the tragedies of minorities around the world, forgetting the crimes it caused during its colonization of many countries of the world.

On February 13, 1960, France carried out a nuclear explosion "the blue jerboa" in the Reggane region in the far southwest of the Algerian desert. Its power was 60 kilotons, which is three times the power of the bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima in 1945.

This bomb was followed by the "white jerboa" bomb, then the "red jerboa" in the order of the three colors of the French flag. In the end, France concluded its crimes with the fourth and final bomb, which was called the "green jerboa".

The outcome of French nuclear crimes in Algeria is summed up in 57 nuclear tests carried out by France in three regions in the southern Algerian desert, including four surface tests, 13 experiments in underground tunnels, 35 experiments at the level of wells, and 5 other experiments in which internationally banned lethal materials were used. France's responsibility for these crimes is complete and unmistakable, and does not require a conviction.

France's nuclear tests polluted the entire area within 150 km of the blast site. France carried out between 1960 and 1966 more than 20 nuclear explosions on Algerian soil, and more than 40 nuclear tests, according to the statements of the French military and experts themselves.

These crimes caused pollution of the atmosphere and natural resources and the spread of diseases such as cancer, birth defects, and so on. And the major crime is that the French authorities do not want to admit their crimes as usual, and have refused and refuse to hand over all the information to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Until now, the files of the French nuclear explosions are still secret and not available for viewing, even to the international organizations that supervise the monitoring. It should be noted here that from a legal point of view, the French nuclear explosions in Algeria are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Will the compensation that France will pay to the victims of its nuclear tests in the Reggane region in the Algerian sub-Saharan suffice? Will it include all current and future victims? Why this delay, which exceeded five decades? And where is the media from these scandals? Where are the human rights organizations and associations and environmental protection bodies? Where is the Algerian party to demand the rights of victims with files, statistics and legal studies? Where is the map of the experiments and their details? And where the International Energy Agency to find out what happened? Many questions and many contradictions on the eve of talking about a French bill to compensate the victims of Reggane, a project that came primarily to compensate the French army members affected by the experiments.

The repercussions and effects of French colonialism in its former colonies are still present, and border problems, identity crises, economic imbalance and cultural dependency are still besieging many countries that have suffered from the tragedies of colonialism, injustice and servitude.

France abandoned its colonies and left it in a whirlpool of dependency and economic and social problems. France also failed to develop a new strategy for dealing with its colonies and a plan of action in line with the new facts in the world. This situation opened the way for active powers in the international system, such as the United States of America, China and Russia, to take advantage of the French vacuum on the continent.

The strange and strange thing about it is that France, after more than four decades of its crimes in its former colonies, is still determined not to admit what it did and not to apologize. On the other hand, it insists on maintaining its influence in its colonies and benefiting from the privileges, facilities and courtesies in dealing.

As a reminder, France's story with nuclear crimes did not only concern Algeria, but French Polynesia experienced the same woes and experiences.

The international system today is in need of a comprehensive study of nuclear tests in order to reach practical mechanisms that will put the international community in front of responsibilities to address the serious repercussions and repercussions that the regions that witnessed and lived through these nuclear crimes have suffered.

The world needs to know about these crimes and it is the duty of international law to punish the criminals and compel them to pay compensation and do the necessary in order to get rid of the sediments and files resulting from those experiments, as well as epidemics, diseases and environmental pollution.

The stark contradiction that we observe in the era of contradictions, deception, counterfeiting and double standards, is that France seeks to support and develop relations of cooperation and economic, commercial, cultural and scientific exchange with the countries of the brown continent, and exerts great pressure on Iran over its nuclear file, while refusing to acknowledge its crimes in its former colonies.

French officials declare that the nuclear tests in the Algerian desert are "clean" and have not exposed the population and the environment to radiation of any kind of diseases and negative repercussions. This position by the country of "liberty, equality and brotherhood" reminds us of a French law that glorifies colonialism and praises the positives it provided to the colonies.

Did not Jules Ferry theorize and say that God created two types of human beings, one type found in the North was created to rule and lead the second type of human being found in the South? According to the theory of the French colonial view, Europeans were created to colonize other peoples in order to teach them civilization, urbanization and development.

Nuclear tests in the world represent a very important problem, but because it concerns the helpless and embarrasses the active forces in the international system and places them in front of their responsibilities and the crimes they committed, it did not receive the necessary attention, whether by the international media or international organizations. It is Algeria's right and the International Atomic Energy Agency's duty to impose on France to provide a detailed map of the bombings and to assist Algeria technically, logistically and materially to deal with the damage, confront the situation and overcome the risks of radiation.

France must also pay compensation to Algeria and those affected by the nuclear crimes it has committed. The region that witnessed nuclear tests needs a study to determine the damages and to identify ways and means to salvage what can be saved.

The problem of nuclear tests in the world, especially those conducted by the brutal colonial powers, requires an international network that includes bodies, organizations and associations concerned with the negative effects and various repercussions on humans, the environment and the environment. The international community should also pay attention to the issue and work to manage these areas that suffer from nuclear radioactive contamination with all its dangers to humans, animals and places for thousands of years. Where is the human conscience, human rights organizations and environmental protection?