Nuclear Testing in Algeria

France became a nuclear power in 1960 with the detonation of the Blue Jerboa nuclear test in Algeria.  Between 1960 and 1966, France detonated a total of 17 nuclear weapons in Algeria. The explosions in Algeria’s Sahara were justified by the argument that the lands were barren and empty.  This moment marked the beginning of a troubling chapter in colonial and post-colonial history, a six-year period that created a toxic legacy that continues to poison relations between the two nations and devastate local communities more than six decades later.

Nuclear Testing

Between 1960 and 1961, France conducted four atmospheric tests just 50 Kilometers from the town of Reggane in southwestern Algeria. Reggane was home to 6,000 people at the time of the first explosion. Radioactive fallout from these atmospheric tests were detected as far away as Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Sudan.

In 1962, Algeria achieved independence after an eight-year war of liberation, following which they were forced to accept a peace agreement which allowed France to continue using the Sahara for nuclear weapons tests. The testing was moved to an underground site in the Hoggar mountain range near In Ekker. Thirteen of the 17 tests occurred in an independent Algeria, but the practice of nuclear colonialism continued.

Colonial Exploitation

The thousands of people that lived in Reggane and In Ekker, as well as those throughout Algeria and beyond, were subjected to the horrific effects of nuclear detonations with no protections.  French operations employed 6,500 engineers, soldiers, and researchers alongside 3,500 Algerian manual laborers who were oftentimes forced into the work. They were given little to no protection from radiation exposure. Testimonies document accounts of horrific colonial exploitation by the French during testing.

Beyond those working or directly involved in the explosions, thousands more were carelessly exposed to radiation fallout, including local Tuareg populations who had lived in the region for generations. Estimates suggest that 27,000-60,000 Algerians who lived in the testing areas faced the consequences of exposure.

Lasting Contamination

Even the supposedly safer underground tests proved catastrophic. During the “Beryl” test, the underground shaft was improperly sealed, spewing radioactive matter into the atmosphere and heavily contaminating nine soldiers and numerous government officials who had been invited to observe the blast.

Lasting contamination from the nuclear tests still blanket the Algerian Sahara. The Algerian government never received complete maps of the French experiments, nor did the French adequately clean up their experiments. Contaminated equipment still remains buried in the sand in undisclosed locations. Alongside radioactive fallout, the conditions represent an ongoing disaster. 

Compensation and recognition

Local researchers estimate that thousands of Algerians have suffered from the effects of nuclear radiation across the Saharan region. Many contaminated individuals died from what they were told were “rare illnesses,” without ever learning the true cause of their conditions. The long-term health effects began manifesting approximately 20 years after the first test and continue to affect new generations.

In 2010, the French parliament passed the Morin law, which theoretically offers compensation to nuclear testing victims. However, in reality, the law’s restrictive requirements, including proof of residency during the testing period and recognition of only certain illnesses, have effectively excluded the vast majority of Algerian nuclear victims. 

Algerian military leaders have called on France to acknowledge its historic responsibilities in regards to their nuclear colonialism and addressing the harms caused by the tests. Local activists continue documenting cases and demanding site cleanup and fair compensation.