The long legacy of France’s nuclear tests in Algeria
Locals at least want to know where France buried its nuclear waste
ABDELKRIM TOUHAMI was still a teenager when, on May 1st 1962, French officials in Algeria told him and his neighbours to leave their homes in the southern city of Tamanrasset. It was just a precaution. France was about to detonate an atom bomb, known as Beryl, in the desert some 150km away. The blast would be contained underground. Two French ministers were there to witness the test.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Lingering fallout”
From the June 26th 2021 edition
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