Algeria accuses France of refusing to deliver maps of the desert's nuclear waste

The Algerian Ministry of National Defence on Sunday accused the French authorities of refusing to provide specific records and topographical maps of landfills, burial sites and nuclear waste. These documents relate to the wreckage of explosions and experiments carried out by France in the Algerian desert during the colonial period, amid ongoing claims to enable the Algerian side to pinpoint contamination sites accurately.

These unauthorized waste maps date back to 17 nuclear tests and explosions carried out by the French colonial authorities between 1960 and 1966 in the regions of Ragan, Adrar and Ecker, in the state of Temnard. The Algerian authorities consider these activities to be colonial crimes subject to international criminal responsibility and do not fall under the statute of limitations, as well as being explicitly contrary to international environmental standards adopted to clean up radioactive contaminated sites.

On the field level, the Ministry of National Defence in coordination with the National Agency for the Rehabilitation of Ancient Nuclear Testing Sites has launched a second operation to clear the blast tunnel called Beryl 2E in the Inker region. Expert teams are working to address the remaining impacts in these facilities after decades of experiments that directly impacted the local environment.

Field-approved executive steps include continuing to contain and identify all areas affected by radiation pollution, as well as collecting and storing waste locally in insulated concrete containers. These preventive measures are aimed at providing protection for the local population and reducing environmental risks, as well as preparing those large areas for future development projects.