Badji Mokhtar

The martyr was born on April 17, 1919 in Annaba. He moved with his family to Souk Ahras, where he received his primary and secondary education. However, prejudice and racism from his French teachers forced him to leave school in 1936. In the early 1940s he joined the Muslim Scouts and supervised the formation of youth groups. In 1947, he joined the ranks of the national movement and continued his fight within the Movement for the Triumph of Democratic Liberties. He was appointed head of the Souk Ahras branch of the Special Organization and was tasked with training the first paramilitary groups in preparation for the revolution. This lasted until 1950, when he was arrested after the discovery of the Special Organization. He was tried and sentenced to three years in prison, which he spent in Chlef and Blida. In June 1954, Badji Mokhtar participated in the historic meeting of the 'Group of 22' in Algiers and was entrusted with leadership of the Souk Ahras sector. He oversaw the formation of the first groups of mujahideen who carried out the first operations on the night of November 1, 1954. He led numerous military operations, targeting various structures, including the destruction of the 'Aïn Seynour' bridge near Souk Ahras, the 'Nador' mine and an ambush on the railway. Badji Mokhtar was martyred with three of his comrades on November 18, 1954, during a battle against enemy forces at the Dali Benchouaf farm in Guelma.