Historians And Militants Evoke The Laudable Itinerary Of Late Ahmed Ben Bella

The Minister of Moudjahidine and Rights’ Holders, Laïd Rebigua, underlined on Saturday that the moudjahid and late president Ahmed Ben Bella was one of those heroes who reconciled thought and action and was able to manage with great efficiency the leadership of freedom fighters and the supervision of the revolutionary struggle.
The minister said in his message, which was read out on his behalf by the Secretary General of the ministry, Afif Hachemi, at the opening in Tlemcen of the proceedings of the national symposium entitled “Ahmed Ben Bella and his role in supporting the liberation movements and just causes”, on the occasion of the commemoration of the 106th anniversary of his birth, that the late moudjahid Ahmed Ben Bella “was one of those who were able, in the darkest moments, to be aware of history and to foresee the future, in order to lay the foundations for major transformations with the competence he had to imagine the best ways to escape from French colonialism.
“He was one of those heroes who reconciled thought and action and knew how to manage with great efficiency the direction of the freedom fighters and the supervision of the liberation struggle. He was a seasoned leader in the ranks of the Special Organisation and one of the planners of the armed struggle, as he greatly contributed to publicising and supporting the Algerian cause, in addition to arranging for the supply of weapons for the liberation war,” Rebigua added.
He also spoke about the legacy that Ahmed Ben Bella left behind, especially what is related to “spreading the thought and culture of emancipation in the world in general, preparing for a qualitative change in the maturation of national liberation projects in Africa in particular, and crystallizing new ideas and approaches in the struggle to achieve the objectives and get rid of the brutal colonial yoke”.
The minister stressed that national independence was “an enlightening stage in his struggle, which continued in the same spirit to build the Algerian independent state institutions, which inherited a heavy colonial legacy, where he had to face major challenges during the period he spent at the head of power.
He added that the deceased had to heal the wounds of the disabled, accommodate refugees, care for the sick, build state institutions and ensure the functioning of his services despite the scarcity of resources and the lack of qualified personnel.
Mr Rebigua considered that “the generation of independence must be inspired by the work of these men, the teachings and lessons that were at the origin of the success of the war of liberation and its victories, and today the loyalty of the new Algeria is strengthened by the values of our memory and our distinguished symbols that have made our glory and honour at different times”.
In this context, he recalled “the enshrinement of the government’s action plan to implement the program of the President of the Republic and to fulfill his 54 commitments, which we are witnessing day after day in various fields, including those related to our history and our national memory, to which the president attaches particular importance, especially in the field of historical studies and research, in accordance with university programs”.
This meeting was marked by the presentation of several interventions by university professors on the role of the cultural environment in shaping the personality of Ahmed Ben Bella and his political struggle in the Algerian national movement between 1945 and 1954, as well as his role in supplying the liberation war with weapons and his positions inside the prison on the French reports during the liberation war and his role in the liberation movements in Africa.
On the sidelines of this meeting, which took place at the Museum of the Moudjahid in Tlemcen, a wreath was laid at the memorial of the late President Ahmed Ben Bella, in downtown Tlemcen and a tribute was paid to the memory of the lofty Martyrs or shouhada at the cemetery of the martyrs of the commune of Henaya, in addition to a visit to the library donated by Ahmed Ben Bella to the university “Aboubakr Belkaïd” of Tlemcen, which includes 8,000 titles in various fields.
A historical exhibition on “Friends of the Algerian Revolution” was also held at the Moudjahid Museum, in addition to the kick-off of a blood donation campaign.
On the same occasion, the family of the late President Ahmed Ben Bella, the lecturers and the Mujahidin Hamedache Nabil, Mohamed Tahar Abdeslam, Mohamed Larbi Zoubiri and Amer Rehila, were honored.