The Algerians who fought for France

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2022

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

More than 200,000 Algerians fought for France during the war of independence, becoming known as Harkis. After Algeria's independence in 1962, the Harkis were treated badly by both the Algerians and the French. The FLN regarded the Harkis as traitors; while the French washed their hands of them after losing the war. Brahim Sadouni was one of the Harkis. He spoke to Louise Hidalgo in 2010 about how he was rejected by his own father.

PHOTO: Harki forces in 1959 (Jean-Louis SWINERS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Choosing what to watch night after night the flicking through the endless
0:06.8	searching is a nightmare we want to help you on our brand new podcast off the
0:11.8	telly we share what we've been watching
0:14.0	Cladie Aide.
0:16.0	Load to games, loads of fun, loads of screaming.
0:19.0	Lovely. Off the telly with me Joanna Paige.
0:21.0	And me, Natalie Cassidy, so your evenings can be a little less
0:24.9	searching and a lot more auction listen on BBC sounds. Hello and thank you for downloading Witness History from the BBC World Service.
0:40.3	All this week we're hearing stories from Algeria's War of Independence,
0:44.3	which ended 60 years ago this year.
0:47.3	Today Louise Hidalgo has the story of the Algerians who fought for France. They became known as the Harkies.
0:55.0	On July the third, the French leader Charles de Gaulle declared that Algeria was no longer part of France.
1:01.0	It was an independent country.
1:03.0	The conclusion of the three sere the law in Algerians rejoiced.
1:08.0	It had been a long and bloody fight for independence, but some Algerians did not celebrate.
1:16.0	For these Muslims, the independence of Algeria means a good deal less than nothing.
1:21.0	They and thousands like them are the people who at Dego's request
1:24.4	took up arms with the French to fight the rebels. Now those same rebels are in
1:28.8	power and in favor and these men and their families are homeless.
1:32.4	One Algeria get the... and these men on their families are homeless.
1:33.0	One, Algeria get the independence that I make big party in the country, but myself I was left out of this party.
1:44.0	Me, I was sad, very, very sad.
	...

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