by TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA
When the race for nuclear armament was getting fierce, France joined too. In asserting their dominance to the world, they developed their nuclear technologies by exploiting their former colony – Algeria. What France left in Algeria were large quantities of nuclear and non-nuclear waste that poses grave dangers to human life and the environment.
Between 1960 and 1967, France carried out 17 nuclear tests in Algeria. These tests were both atmospheric and underground tests. They were carried out at the Reggane and In Ekker sites. These tests were conducted under great tension when Algeria was focusing on the attendant reconstruction following the attainment of independence. At the same time, France maintained its strategic autonomy over Algeria.
A report titled ‘Radioactivity Under The Sand’ from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) shows the extent to which France left the waste in Algeria. It proposes a set of recommendations to redress the lingering problem. The study was led by Patrice Bouveret, director of the French Centre for Documentation and Research on Peace and Conflicts (Observatoire des armements), and Jean-Marie Collin, co-spokesperson for ICAN France.
The first nuclear bomb test on 13 February 1960 over Reggane (codenamed Gerboise Bleue) was conducted after French authorities had explained that the tests would be conducted in uninhabited and deserted areas. But at least 20,000 people were living near the sites. Gerboise Bleue was 4 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. These sites have not been fully decontaminated – and France keeps evading this pressing issue. This is more glaring when it comes to the compensation of these communities exposed to radioactive and non-radioactive waste.
After the tests France had done, the colonial power did not find it imperative to decontaminate these sites. France showed flagrant disregard for Algerian communities because after it had concluded the tests it did not help Algeria locate the waste, thus decontaminating the sites.
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