Mohamed Aïchaoui
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Mohamed Aïchaoui (29 January 1921 - 1959) was an Algerian journalist and militant in the
nationalist movement The Nationalist Movement is a Mississippi-founded white nationalist organization with headquarters in Georgia that advocates what it calls a "pro-majority" position. It has been called white supremacist by the Associated Press and Anti-Defamati ...
against
French Algeria French Algeria (french: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...
. Aïchaoui wrote the ''
Declaration of 1 November 1954 The Declaration of 1 November 1954 is the first independentist appeal addressed by the National Liberation Front (FLN) to the Algerian people, marking the start of the Algerian Revolution and the armed action of the National Liberation Army (A ...
'', the National Liberation Front's first appeal to the Algerian people at the start of the
Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
. After earlier imprisonment and torture, he died in a 1959 clash with the French army.


Early life

Aïchaoui was born on 29 January 1921 in the town of Si Mustapha, in lower
Kabylia Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kabyle people. It is part of th ...
near the
Isser River The Oued Isser is a river of Algeria. It begins in Médéa Province, is the main river, with Oued Sébaou of the Medea, which runs through the Lower Kabylie of Djurdjura (or the current province of Boumerdès) Wilaya of Bouira, then flows into ...
. He grew up in woody
Thénia Thénia (), sometimes written as ''Thenia'', with around 40,000 inhabitants, is the chief town in the daïra of the same name, in the wilaya of Boumerdès, in northern Algeria. Historically, the name is a contraction of ''Theniet Beni Aicha'' (ث ...
, part of the
Khachna The Khachna Range ( ar, جبال الخشنة, ''Jibal Khashna''; Berber ''Adrar n Kheshna'') is a mountain range of the Tell Atlas, part of the Atlas Mountain System. It is located in Kabylie, Algeria. Geography The ''Khachna'' is a massif m ...
mountain range. Aïchaoui's father worked for a French settler and, after his death, his wife moved to
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
with her children. They settled in El Annasser, renting a house on the former Rue Ampère. His family's poverty forced Aïchaoui to leave school and work with his older brother, Saïd, as a carpenter. He later worked for a French lawyer, where he learned administration and
fingerprint A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfac ...
ing.


Algerian nationalism

Inspired by Saïd's underground activism in the
Algerian People's Party The Algerian People's Party (in French, Parti du Peuple Algerien PPA), was a successor organization of the North African Star (''Étoile Nord-Africaine''), led by veteran Algerian nationalist Messali Hadj. It was formed on March 11, 1937. In 1936, ...
(PPA), Aïchaoui became interested in Algerian independence. He joined the party, and participated in the 1 May 1945 demonstrations in
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
' Belcourt ( Belouizdad) neighbourhood.الصحفي الشهيد محمد العيشاوي.. منجز بيان فاتح نوفمبر.. صياغة ورقنا وسحبا.. , الشيخ عبد الحميد بن باديس
/ref> He led marchers through the Bab Djedid district, on rue Larbi Ben M'hidi, to the
Grande Poste d'Alger The Algiers Central Post Office, ( ar, بريد الجزائر المركزي, french: Grande Poste d'Alger) is an office building for postal services located on Boulevard Mohamed-Khemisti, Alger Centre municipality in Algiers, Algeria. It was des ...
. Aïchaoui was a political orator during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
after evading compulsory military service in France, citing illness. His activism inspired resistance by young people from working-class neighbourhoods, laying the groundwork for an uprising against the colonial regime. Aïchaoui pled the nationalist cause with young athletes returning from training, discussing their favorite sport and moving on to colonial Algeria, its history, and its need for independence.


Journalism

Aïchaoui's interest in literature and journalism stemmed from a desire to appeal to the Algerian elite, driving him to improve his language and writing. His enthusiasm for reading elevated him to the PPA leadership in 1946, where he translated articles into French for the underground newspaper ''
L'Algérie Libre ''L'Algérie Libre'' (meaning ''Free Algeria'' in English) was a French-language newspaper based in Algiers, Algeria. Overview ''L'Algerie libre'', whose acronym was "By the people and for the people" (french: Par le peuple et pour le peuple) wa ...
'' ( ar, الجزائر الحرة) which were then broadcast in Arabic. Aïchaoui wrote about party activities and transcribed press releases for its leadership, realizing his aptitude for writing. The PPA first published his writing in the summer 1949 party journal. Aïchaoui then asked the party leadership for permission to study at the
French Press Institute The French Press Institute (french: Institut français de presse, commonly referred to as "IFP") is a public institution of research and higher education, which has served as the department for communication and journalism studies at Panthéon-A ...
in Paris.


Special Organisation

Aïchaoui met Algerian political leader
Mohamed Boudiaf Mohamed Boudiaf (23 June 1919 – 29 June 1992, ar, محمد بوضياف; ALA-LC: ''Muḥammad Bū-Ḍiyāf''), also called Si Tayeb el Watani, was an Algerian political leader and one of the founders of the revolutionary National Liberat ...
and nationalist activist
Mourad Didouche Mourad Didouche (1927–1955 in Kabyle: Diduc Muṛad, Arabic: ديدوش مراد ) was a veteran of the Algerian War of independence (1954–1962). Biography Mourad Didouche, nicknamed si Abdelkader, was born on July 13, 1927 at ...
when he was a journalism intern in France in 1950, and they recruited him into the Special Organisation. He studied journalism abroad for two years, working in the field before his return to Algiers in 1953. Aïchaoui received his press credentials when he returned to Algeria, which allowed him to work professionally. As a successful journalist, he no longer needed to do clerical work. Aïchaoui's militancy allied him with the Messalists, who split from the centrists in early 1954.


Declaration of 1 November 1954

After the
Revolutionary Committee of Unity and Action Revolutionary Committee for Unity and Action (in French: ''Comité Révolutionnaire d'Unité et d'Action'') was a militant group in Algeria formed in order to fight French rule. CRUA regrouped former elements of the OS and radical members of the ...
(CRUA) decided to take armed action, the task of drafting the independence proclamation was entrusted to Aïchaoui in the
Casbah of Algiers The Casbah ( ar, قصبة, ''qaṣba'', meaning citadel) is the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it. In 1992, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed ' ...
. The 1954 outbreak of the revolution prompted a group of six people to prepare the final version of the revolutionary declaration after its broad outlines were agreed at a 10 October 1954 meeting in
El Mouradia El Mouradia-El Golf ( ar, المرادية) is a municipality in Algiers Province, Algeria. It is administratively part of Sidi M'Hamed district. Its municipal code is ''1627'' and postal code is ''16035'' and it has a population of 29,503 as of t ...
. When CRUA asked Aïchaoui to write the declaration, the messalists attempted to physically intimidate him in Belcourt (Belouizdad). After he wrote and revised the proclamation, he typed and mimeographed it in the village of Ighil Imoula under the direction of
Rabah Bitat Rabah Bitat ( ar, رابح بيطاط; ALA-LC: ''Rābaḥ Bīṭāṭ''; 19 December 1925 in Aïn Kerma – 10 April 2000) was an Algerian Nationalist and politician. He served as interim President of Algeria from 1978 to 1979, after Houari ...
. Bitat introduced Aïchaoui to his friend, Amar Ouamrane, who accompanied him from a Belcourt café to
Tizi Ouzou Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylie region after Bejaia. History Etymology The name ''Tizi Ouzou' ...
; activist Ali Zamoum then brought him to the targeted village. Zamoum provided Aïchaoui with the wherewithal for his secret mission (often carried out at night), and the journalist returned to Algiers by the same route to be ready for large-scale distribution of the leaflets on the evening of 1 November 1954.


Torture and imprisonment

When he returned from Tizi Ouzou, Aïchaoui was arrested by French soldiers just after the outbreak of the revolution. He distributed leaflets on 2 November (before his arrest) to his acquaintances, including Pierre Chaulet, explaining the seriousness of the revolution. The colonial
French police Law enforcement in France has a long history dating back to AD 570 when night watch systems were commonplace.Dammer, H. R. and Albanese, J. S. (2014). ''Comparative Criminal Justice Systems'' (5th ed.). Wadesworth Cengage learning: Belmont, ...
, led by its commissioner, arrived at dawn on 16 November and knocked on the door of Aïchaoui's house. The police ransacked the house without finding incriminating evidence and brought him to the Villa Mahieddine (near the
Hacène Harcha Arena Harcha Hassan Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Algiers, Algeria. The capacity of the arena is 8,000 spectators. It hosts indoor sporting events such as Handball, Basketball, Volleyball and hosts the home matches of GS Pétroliers. ...
), where he was tortured. On the evening of 17 November, 45 minutes of
water torture Water torture encompasses a variety of techniques using water to inflict physical or psychological harm on a victim as a form of torture or execution. Forced ingestion In this form of water torture, water is forced down the throat and into the sto ...
were followed by an interrogation session in Villa Mahieddine. Aïchaoui was forced to swallow dirty water during a one-hour session the following day. A third session used
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
by an inspector who comparing himself to the
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
. During a subsequent interrogation, Aïchaoui's ear began to bleed. Aïchaoui was tortured in Algiers until his 21 November transfer to Tizi Ouzou prison on an 18-month sentence. He was arrested by the French occupation forces with all the people known to belong to the Algerian national movement, and wrote to the judicial authorities and public prosecutor protesting their methods of interrogation and torture. After Aïchaoui's transfer to Tizi Ouzou, he underwent a three-day interrogation before being presented to the examining magistrate on 24 November.
André Mandouze André Mandouze (10 June 1916 in Bordeaux - 5 June 2006 in Porto-Vecchio), was a French academic and journalist, a Catholic, and an anti-fascist and anti-colonialist activist. In January 1946, when he was offered a post at the University of Algi ...
told his family that he was at Villa Mahieddine and then transferred to Tizi Ouzou prison. Aïchaoui served his sentence in the Serkadji and
Berrouaghia Berrouaghia is a town and commune in Médéa Province, Algeria. According to the 1998 census it has a population of 58,780. Notable people * Benyoucef Benkhedda - Algerian politician History Berrouaghia was during the Roman Empire called Tanaram ...
prisons, and was released in 1956.


National Liberation Army

When Aïchaoui was released from prison, he joined the National Liberation Army (ALN) in the mountainous
Wilaya A wilayah ( ar, وَلاية, wālāya or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu and fa, ولایت, ''velâyat''; tr, vilayet) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as "governorate". The word comes fr ...
IV and was promoted to lieutenant in its information service. A native of the region, which included
Bouzegza Keddara Bouzegza Keddara is a town and commune in Boumerdès Province, Algeria. Population According to the 1998 census it has a population of 8,484. History * First Battle of the Issers The First Battle of the Issers in May 1837, during the French ...
, Zbarbar, and
Tablat Tablat is a town and commune in Médéa Province, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates ...
, he inspired confidence in the mountain population who supported the revolution. Aïchaoui published ''Guerilla'' (a newsletter for the region's resistance fighters), and helped investigate the destruction of the village of Djerrah by French aircraft.


Death

Aïchaoui was killed in a 1959 clash with the French army in the
Khachna The Khachna Range ( ar, جبال الخشنة, ''Jibal Khashna''; Berber ''Adrar n Kheshna'') is a mountain range of the Tell Atlas, part of the Atlas Mountain System. It is located in Kabylie, Algeria. Geography The ''Khachna'' is a massif m ...
mountains, between
Ammal Ammal is a town and commune in Boumerdès Province, Algeria. According to the 1998 census it has a population of 8,567. Villages The villages of the commune of ''Ammal'' are: History French conquest * Expedition of the Col des Beni Aïcha ( ...
and
Lakhdaria Lakhdaria (), is a town in northern Algeria, in the Bouïra Province. It is located 50 miles (75 km) south east of Algiers. It is surrounded by the Kabylie mountains, and by a 3 miles long river named oued Isser, passing by rocky mountains ...
. He and his group of resistance fighters took refuge in a cave, and the French killed them in a gas attack.


Honours

In June 2012, eight promotions from the
El Harrach El Harrach ( Berber: ⵍⵃⴻⵔⵔⴰⵛ , formerly ''Maison-Carrée'') is a suburb of the Algerian capital Algiers. The town is home to USM El Harrach football club and the Higher National Veterinary School is located in the area. Notable pe ...
Higher School of Equipment were named after Aïchaoui. A public square in Kouba was named for him in 1967, and a middle school in his hometown of Si Mustapha was named for him in 2003. An annual Algerian journalism prize in Aïchaoui's name was established on 4 May 2011.


See also

*
List of Algerians Notable Algerians include: Artists Writers (including poets) *Ferhat Abbas (1899–1985), political leader and essayist *Mohamed Aïchaoui (1921–1959), political leader and journalist *Abdelkader Alloula (born 1939), playwright *Al-Akhd ...
*
List of Algerian writers This is a list of notable Algerian writers: A *Ferhat Abbas (1899–1985), political leader and essayist *Mohamed Aïchaoui (1921–1959), political leader and journalist * Salim Aïssa, pseudonym of Boukella, writer of detective fiction * W ...
*
Mourad Didouche Mourad Didouche (1927–1955 in Kabyle: Diduc Muṛad, Arabic: ديدوش مراد ) was a veteran of the Algerian War of independence (1954–1962). Biography Mourad Didouche, nicknamed si Abdelkader, was born on July 13, 1927 at ...
*
Rabah Bitat Rabah Bitat ( ar, رابح بيطاط; ALA-LC: ''Rābaḥ Bīṭāṭ''; 19 December 1925 in Aïn Kerma – 10 April 2000) was an Algerian Nationalist and politician. He served as interim President of Algeria from 1978 to 1979, after Houari ...
*
Abane Ramdane Abane Ramdane (June 10, 1920 – December 26, 1957) was an Algerian political activist and revolutionary. He played a key role in the organization of the independence struggle during the Algerian war. His influence was so great that he was known ...


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aïchaoui, Mohamed 1921 births People from Si-Mustapha People from Isser District People from Boumerdès Province Kabyle people 1959 deaths Deaths in Algeria People of the Algerian War Muslim martyrs Muslims killed in battle Military personnel killed in action Algerian resistance leaders Algerian political people Arab politicians National Liberation Front (Algeria) politicians Algerian writers Algerian writers in French