Trois milliards de centimes alloués – Le Jeune Indépendant

So that no one forgets the atrocities of the French colonizer, the restoration of the former torture center “Tourneux”, located in the commune of Aokas, east of the wilaya of Bejaïa was launched this Sunday, by the wali Mr. Kamel-Eddine Karbouche. An amount of three billion centimes was allocated to build this camp which was a place of memory of the crimes and suffering endured by Algerians during the many years by the colonizer.

This inauguration was initiated during the commemorative festivities of the 71st anniversary of the outbreak of the National Liberation War. Indeed, the center is only one example of colonial violence and the systematic and massive use of torture in the French army’s group camps during the Algerian War 1954-1962 that the number would approach 2000 sites across the country. This project is initiated in memory of the Mujahideen Moudjahidates as well as the martyrs who were tortured sometimes to the point of death by the colonial army in this dark place.

It was one of the places of detention and torture used by the French colonial army against fighters for the country’s independence between 1954 and 1962. The walls of this old building located on the farm known as “Tourneux” during the colonial era still bear the traces of these atrocities. Algerians were interned there, undergoing physical and psychological torture in order to obtain from them information on the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the National Liberation Army (ALN).

Survivors’ testimonies speak of barbaric treatment, including torture by water, electricity, mutilation and summary executions. The inauguration of the restoration work took place in the presence of the revolutionary family, the president of the APW, the director of the Mujahideen, the mayor and the head of daïra of Aoaks as well as the security authorities.

An amount of three billion centimes was allocated to this operation and a delivery period of 10 months was given to the company responsible for carrying out the restoration work. “The rehabilitation of this torture center is part of the State program aimed at protecting national memory and rehabilitating the immortal symbols of the war of national liberation,” observed the wilaya. And adds: “this Camp will be restored and transformed into a history museum and will be open to visitors”.