Story of Hocine Ait Ahmed, Mohand Oulhadj and 5,000 war veterans’ rebellion
Algeria war veteran Belkacem Zaid talks about internal conflicts which took place few years before the independent. Thanks to him, bloodshed was prevented in the country.
France comes up with idea of soldiers on the run to penetrate into Algeria’s revolution
“In 1958, Houari Boumediene went to Tunisia and called its president Lahbib Bourguiba. At that time, I was living there and holding the position of Political Commissioner of the National Liberation Front (FLN). In 1956, my chief asked me and others to go to the area of Ain Defla in Tunisia. In Ain El Deida, we found a new center where there were 7 cannons. Boumediene ordered us to not attack the site because the tanks belonged to the NATO and they were going to be transferred to the French army,” Zaid told Echorouk.
“At the same year, France realized that the Algerian revolution accomplished successful achievements. Because of that, it thought of changing its strategy. It wanted to penetrate into the revolution by using soldiers on the run from the French army,” he added.
“A soldier on the run named Saleh came and asked to join us. My chief ordered me to keep watch on him. I was told he shed light on Ain El Beida center. Shortly after, the soldier discovered that he was watched and run away.”
“Eight days later, the French army attacked us killing a number of Algerian soldiers.”
“Each time I assigned a soldier to keep watch on the center, he did not come back. This had happened for three times. When we checked the place, we found out that the three soldiers fainted. They were taken to Tunis for treatment.”
“According to doctors, the soldiers smelled gas of bombs used by the French army. They were made in the US and each one weighted 50 kg. Then, we were ordered not to get close to the site for 40 days.”
“When Boumediene heard about that, he came to the site and asked commanders: Abderrahmane Ben Salem, Laarbi Belkhir, Salim Saadi and Chadli Ben Djedid whether they could attack the center. Be Djedid said they could use mortar.”
The story of Hocine Ait Ahmed, Mohand Oulhadj and 5,000 war veterans’ rebellion
“When the fight stopped, I entered the province of Constantine (east of Algeria) with my troop. The zone commander Laarbi Mili was ill and asked me to replace him. When Boumediene came, Ben Djedid ordered me to go the province of Blida (west of Algeria) where Said Abid was the zone commander.”
“Abid told me a second revolution would break out. He said Mohand Oulhadj and Hocine Ait Ahmed run away with 5,000 soldiers to mountains. They were against Ahmed Ben Bela and Houari Boumediene. This happened between 1964 and 1965. I suggested to be in charge of solving the conflict and convince them to come back.”
“I went to the largest Kabylian village with my troop. We found 20 women who received us. We told them we did not come for fighting. They told us there was a plot against us. Then, I found out that the man behind that was Ismail Oubelaid.”
Members of the Association of Muslim Scholars cry for ban on Arabic use
“On the following day’s morning, I met two members of the Algerian Association of Muslim Scholars. They were crying because Oulhadj and Ait Ahmed did not authorize to use Arabic. They forced people to speak in Tamazight. “
“Oubelaid came to me and suggested to continue dialogue with the other war veterans on the run. I proposed to form a special committee and to be its president. We had looked for the war veterans for 15 days but we did not find them. We heard that they were hiding in a village named Tizi. They said they had no problem with Boumediene.”
“When I came back to Blida, Abid appointed me as commander of the zone No 1 as my mission was successful with dissidents. I had stayed there for 15 days.”