Algeria’s Ministry of National Defense announced on Sunday, November 1, 2026, the launch of a second operation to clean radioactive waste from a former French nuclear test site in the Sahara Desert.
The work is underway at the Beryl E2 (Béryl E2) test tunnel site in the In Ekker area of Tamanrasset province, in the country’s far south (Sixth Military Region).
The operation is being carried out entirely with Algerian expertise, personnel, and equipment under the supervision of the Defense Ministry and in coordination with the National Agency for the Rehabilitation of Former French Nuclear Test and Explosion Sites in southern Algeria.
It follows national and international safety standards and protocols. Teams are identifying radioactive zones, collecting nuclear waste, and storing it in specially designed concrete containers.
The timing coincides with the 72nd anniversary of the start of Algeria’s war of independence on November 1, 1954.
A ministry statement framed the effort as part of broader rehabilitation work on former nuclear test sites in the south and emphasized national determination to complete the cleanup despite obstacles.
Accusations against France
The Defense Ministry accused France of refusing to assume its “criminal responsibilities” and of withholding documents, records, and maps of the sites where nuclear waste was buried.
It said residual contamination continues to hinder development in In Ekker (Tamanrasset) and Reggane (Adrar province in the southwest).
Algerian specialists, the statement added, remain resolved to fully decontaminate the waste left by the French colonial period and rehabilitate the affected areas.
This is the second such national operation. Algeria began a first partial cleanup on February 14, 2026, at the nearby Taourirt Tan Affella (Taourirt-Tan-Afella) site, also in the In Ekker area.
France conducted 17 nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara between 1960 and 1966. The first, code-named Gerboise Bleue, took place near Reggane on February 13, 1960, while Algeria was still under French colonial rule.
Four atmospheric tests occurred at Reggane; the remaining 13 were underground tests at In Ekker. Some tests continued after Algeria’s independence in 1962 under arrangements linked to the Évian Accords.
The sites have remained a point of contention. Algeria has long pressed France for full access to military archives and burial maps to enable thorough decontamination and address ongoing health and environmental impacts on local populations.
Residual radioactivity has been cited as a lasting barrier to regional development.
The latest operation underscores Algeria’s decision to proceed with national resources while continuing to hold France accountable for the colonial-era nuclear legacy.
