Living Testimony Of A European Lady Documenting Her Last Woeful Moments Of Leaving Algeria!

A vivid testimony of a black-footed (Pied-Noir) woman who recounts heartily the last moments with her sister leaving the port of Algiers as an example of a steamer.. This testimony truly reflects the extent of this group of Europeans’ attachment to Algeria, which provided what they did not dream of, but they let her down when she needed them.

This woman, named Nicole McQueen, found an old picture of her on the front page of the latest issue of “Le Figaro Magazine”, waving a white handkerchief and saying goodbye to Algeria in tears.. She was 24 years old, accompanied by her 27-year-old sister, but today she is an old woman. She is over the eighth decade of her life (84 years).

The latter bemoans and cries for the loss of the dream, but when she remembers the horror she experienced in Algeria after independence with her family, she makes her never think of returning to Algeria, she says.

The photo was an outlet for the French magazine to reach this woman to conduct an interview with her, conveying her feelings as she left Algeria, where she grew up in her arms, and enjoyed her bounties, but she and her ilk did not provide them with anything that would intercede for them to continue living on its land.

Nicole says that her brother urged her to buy the magazine, because it included a surprise. She bought it because she respects her brother, she says, and she was surprised when she saw a picture of her on the front page of the magazine.

The European lady moves to talk about the state of terror that swept the European community as it searched for a way to escape from Algeria after its hard-won independence. The Europeans, the colonists and black feet, were estimated to number in Algeria at about one million people, according to French statistics at the time.

Children of this category were not allowed to carry more than two bags on board the ship while leaving Algeria, she says: “Only two bags for two young women in their twenties. He was looking to leave at the same time, the spokeswoman adds.

As for traveling by plane, this is not possible and is surrounded by a lot of fear. “You have to wait in a long queue, while dangers threaten from every side, the Algerians’ weapon (Falaga, as she called them), the French army, as well as the terrorist organization’s secret army (OAS), Everyone does not want anyone to leave Algeria for France alive”.

“The situation was unbearable as we left the port of Algiers via the ship. I was in pain and the ship was moving away from the capital..Algeria is a very beautiful city and I love it. I would not have left it without the circumstances.. Bombs and kidnappings with the intention of rape happened every day..I remember Asma who was kidnapped. The situation was terrifying. My parents insisted that we leave, but my sister and I did not want to leave, because we think we are in our country, and we saw no reason to leave, while our brother left”.

What added to the fear of the Europeans, including the family of this lady, were the threats they were exposed to: “We used to find threats in the mailbox: the bag or the coffin.” She adds: “Three quarters of those who left Algeria did not go to France, they went into the unknown. They were small merchants, many craftsmen and there are others too…”.

After the ship was docked in the port of Marseille, this lady says: “The people of this city met us with screaming, “Black feet, go back to where you came from,” “We don’t want black feet,” “Black feet to the sea.” Thus they confronted us with banners on the balconies of buildings and on the sidewalks of the city. This was our first warm welcome, because the port workers were affiliated with the French left, which is known for its anti-French Algeria and its opposition to colonialism.

We had a chance to see our brother who preceded us in escaping from Algeria, says the spokeswoman, and two days after we joined France, we approached the Red Cross, which was carrying out efforts to shelter those fleeing Algeria, and “we told them that we are black feet. I remember that day a poor little girl, who was working. When she was shaved, she did not find anything to pay for a hotel room, and we paid her dues from our pockets. It was a gesture in order to take care of such cases, even for one night, before leaving Marseille, because its residents did not want to receive us”.

She lamented the loss of the dream of French Algeria: “I miss Algeria, but when I remember those tragedies and harsh conditions, I quickly back down…”.