The El Djorf camp was a French colonial detention camp located in the commune of Ouled Derradj, M’sila province, Algeria. Built in 1955, a year after the outbreak of the Algerian War, it served as a place of imprisonment and torture for nationalist activists and mujahideen during the Algerian War of Liberation.
History
The El Djorf camp was built by the French colonial authorities in an isolated location, away from tracks and roads, except for the current National Road No. 40, which was controlled by the occupying army. This situation made any escape attempt nearly impossible.
During the Algerian War, the camp served to detain many nationalist activists and mujahideen, including senior leaders of the National Liberation Army such as Slimane Amirat.
Structure
The camp consisted of approximately 50 to 100 cells built with “toub” (raw earth brick) walls and clay blocks. These cells were used for the detention and torture of prisoners.
After Independence
After Algeria’s independence in 1962, the camp was largely abandoned. Over the years, some cells were occupied by local families in search of housing, which contributed to the site’s deterioration.
Rehabilitation Project
In 2011, a budget of 50 million dinars was allocated to redevelop the El Djorf camp with the aim of transforming it into a History Museum. This project aims to restore the cells and preserve the original architecture of this military construction while relocating the families living there.
In Culture
The El Djorf camp was depicted in the film “The Winds of the Aures” by Algerian filmmaker Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, who hails from the region. This cinematic work constitutes one of the rare visual representations of the camp in its original state.
Current State
Despite rehabilitation efforts, which included the restoration of some cells and the installation of fences, a large part of the site remains in ruins. Local authorities and mujahideen associations continue to advocate for a complete restoration of the camp to preserve this important testimony of the Algerian War’s history for future generations.
The El Djorf camp was a French colonial detention camp located in the commune of Ouled Derradj, M’sila province, Algeria. Built in 1955, a year after the outbreak of the Algerian War, it served as a place of imprisonment and torture for nationalist activists and mujahideen during the Algerian War of Liberation.
History
The El Djorf camp was built by the French colonial authorities in an isolated location, away from tracks and roads, except for the current National Road No. 40, which was controlled by the occupying army. This situation made any escape attempt nearly impossible.
During the Algerian War, the camp served to detain many nationalist activists and mujahideen, including senior leaders of the National Liberation Army such as Slimane Amirat.
Structure
The camp consisted of approximately 50 to 100 cells built with “toub” (raw earth brick) walls and clay blocks. These cells were used for the detention and torture of prisoners.
After Independence
After Algeria’s independence in 1962, the camp was largely abandoned. Over the years, some cells were occupied by local families in search of housing, which contributed to the site’s deterioration.
Rehabilitation Project
In 2011, a budget of 50 million dinars was allocated to redevelop the El Djorf camp with the aim of transforming it into a History Museum. This project aims to restore the cells and preserve the original architecture of this military construction while relocating the families living there.
In Culture
The El Djorf camp was depicted in the film “The Winds of the Aures” by Algerian filmmaker Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, who hails from the region. This cinematic work constitutes one of the rare visual representations of the camp in its original state.
Current State
Despite rehabilitation efforts, which included the restoration of some cells and the installation of fences, a large part of the site remains in ruins. Local authorities and mujahideen associations continue to advocate for a complete restoration of the camp to preserve this important testimony of the Algerian War’s history for future generations.
