France’s Dark Secret Exposed: The Shocking Admission of Larrabee Ben Mahidi’s Death
- Lebanese historian Fawaz Trabelsi writes: France has acknowledged the killing of Larbi Ben Mahidi, a statement issued by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced that...
- Trabelsi wrote an introduction to Larrabi Ben Mahidi (1923–1957), the "sage" of the Algerian revolution, in which he stated that he was born into a well-to-do peasant family,...
- One of the first contributors to the preparation of the armed revolution, he assumed the leadership of the Fifth State (Oran).
Larbi Ben Mahidi: The National Hero of Algeria
Lebanese historian Fawaz Trabelsi writes: France has acknowledged the killing of Larbi Ben Mahidi, a statement issued by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced that “Larbi Ben Mahidi, the national hero of Algeria and one of the six leaders of the National Liberation Front, which launched the 1954 revolution, was led by General Paul Osaressis. Self-confessed martyr Ben Mahidi was the leader of the “Battle of Algiers” against French occupation in 1957, and the execution took place on a French colonial farm. The execution was carried out by firing squad as a military commander, and most importantly, with the knowledge and orders of François Mitterrand, Minister of Justice in Guy Mollet’s socialist government.
The Life and Legacy of Larbi Ben Mahidi
Trabelsi wrote an introduction to Larrabi Ben Mahidi (1923–1957), the “sage” of the Algerian revolution, in which he stated that he was born into a well-to-do peasant family, attended French schools, specialized in theater, and attended the early days of the national movement. He was nicknamed “Zapata” after the Mexican peasant revolutionary and was known for his call for a form of peasant socialism.
One of the first contributors to the preparation of the armed revolution, he assumed the leadership of the Fifth State (Oran). He was known for his calmness, gentleness, humility, and firmness. He presided over the Soumam Conference, which defined the goals of the revolution as “reviving the Algerian personality” and establishing a “social democratic republic”, insisting that an independent Algeria would not return to feudalism or establish a religious or monarchical state.
The conference established three principles for the revolution: priority of the inside over the outside, political priority over the military, and the principle of collective leadership. He provided an organizational structure to the Algerian National Liberation Front and founded the “National Liberation Army”.
The Battle of Algiers and the Execution of Larbi Ben Mahidi
Larbi Ben Mahidi led the “Algerian War” (January 28 – February 6, 1957) and issued his call for “revolution to take to the streets”. He came up with the idea of an eight-day strike to make the voice of the revolution known to the world and to internationalize the cause.
He was captured on February 23, 1957. He responded to the investigator who accused him of placing explosives against civilians by saying: “What’s the difference between bombing a cafe and bombing a hundred villages with napalm?” Ben Mahidi was not brought to trial. The French army announced that he committed suicide by hanging.
The truth became clear four decades later, when General Paul Osaresis, who was an intelligence officer at the time, admitted that he had hanged the Algerian leader in the basement of a French settler’s farm. Based on a confession by Defense Undersecretary Max Lejeune, it became clear that the decision to extradite the imprisoned Algerian leader was issued by Francois Mitterrand, Minister of Justice in Guy Mollet’s Socialist government.