France’s Responsibility in Nuclear Waste Disposal: A Demand to be Clearly Stated in the Algerian Environmental Legislation (Minister)
On Thursday, Algerian Minister of Environment and Quality of Life Nadjiba Djilali asserted that Algeria’s demand for France to take responsibility for the disposal of nuclear waste resulting from explosions conducted in the southern region during the colonial period will be explicitly articulated in national environmental legislation. This initiative aims to safeguard the rights of both current and future generations to a healthy and sustainable environment.
Following the adoption of the law concerning the management, control, and disposal of waste by the Council of the Nation in a plenary session chaired by Council President Salah Goudjil, the minister emphasized that this new legislation “encompasses dimensions that transcend current environmental challenges and conveys strong messages regarding historical and environmental justice,” referencing “the detrimental effects of nuclear explosions carried out by the colonizer in the southern part of the country.”
The minister underscored that the perpetrator of this environmental catastrophe, stemming from the nuclear explosions—which represent “another violation against our nation and our people”—must “fully assume its historical, moral, and legal responsibilities in the disposal of this radioactive waste and acknowledge the immense harm it has inflicted on our country and the populations of Adrar, Reggane, In Ekker, and other regions.”
She stressed the necessity of “clearly and explicitly including these demands in national environmental legislation to ensure the rights of current and future generations to a healthy and sustainable environment.” The minister called for ongoing efforts to address this issue using all available means to “secure our people’s rights and protect our environment from these harmful effects.”
Presenting the supplementary report from the Equipment and Local Development Committee of the National Council, committee chair Mohamed Ben Taba stated that the committee supports the directives given by the president of the National Council last Monday during the presentation of the bill. He affirmed the inclusion in the report of “the Algerian position demanding that France fully assume its responsibility in the disposal of waste from the nuclear explosions conducted by French colonizers in the Algerian desert during the colonial period.”
In its report, the committee praised Goudjil’s call to “link the present with the past within the framework of enshrining collective memory for a victorious Algeria under the leadership of the President of the Republic,” inviting everyone to engage with this initiative.
