Algeria of Moumdji: The Story of an Exceptional Generation

A major militant gathering took place this Wednesday, April 1, at the headquarters of the Memory Forum of the newspaper El-Moudjahid, with a tribute paid to that great patriot, Zine El-Abidine Moumdji, the last surviving member of the Central Committee of the Algerian People’s Party (PPA). The atmosphere was deeply moving for all of us who consider ourselves heirs to November—and I count myself among them. The El-Moudjahid team and the Memory Forum, who initiated the meeting, deserve praise for organizing this remarkable event, which drew a large crowd, including historian Daho Djerbal, who shared his expertise by serving as interlocutor for this exceptional witness to the glorious era of the Algerian Revolution. Many activists were present, such as Abdenour Keramane, Ahmed Doum, and Ali Haroun, to name only a few of the great figures among many others who have left their mark on Algeria’s history, as well as comrades from the PAGS (Socialist Vanguard Party), comrades I had not seen in years, like Ali Kechid and Noureddine Fethani.

The testimony of moudjahid Moumdji plunged us back, with deep emotion, into that epic chapter that was the National Movement, that liberating breath that spread across the entire Algerian people and led them to throw off the colonial yoke. To find ourselves among an assembly of bearers of light who gave us the greatest of gifts—namely, independence—was something profoundly stirring. To hear this extraordinary witness, Moumdji, who, despite being a centenarian, remains young in thought and speaks with clarity, was an unforgettable moment. Our thoughts turned to our brothers, our comrades who have passed away, yet who were all present through these guardians of the sacred flame. The spirit of Belouizdad was there, the 22 were there, November was among us, alongside the successors who safeguard its memory. It is crucial to fight oblivion and revisionism by remaining mobilized to perpetuate the memory of what our predecessors achieved.

Against the backdrop of Algiers’ magnificent bay, we met with revolutionaries who liberated an entire continent. Today, the Algerian is free and lives in an independent, sovereign country thanks to the sacrifice of millions of martyrs, and thanks to the devotion and selflessness of figures like Moumdji, the last living member of the PPA Central Committee. What an epic gave birth to this National Movement! Greater Algeria radiated across the world through its revolution, which inspired nations globally. It is a gift of life to have shared these moments with this great moudjahid, who continues to defend an ideal and strives to pass it on—a crucial mission of transmission to younger generations. We have a duty to pass on this memory to young Algerians so they may understand what our National Liberation War truly was. The Revolution is inscribed in our genes and must be lived at every moment. To speak of it is to continue the work of the November revolutionaries, those immortal giants. This is vital for Algeria at a time when imperialism runs rampant, invading countries to plunder their resources and falsifying history.

In a world governed by the law of the jungle, it is essential to know the legacy of our martyrs and to understand what “independence” and “sovereignty” truly mean. This is of paramount importance in critical geopolitical junctures like the present, with this war that imperialism is imposing on the entire planet, triggering a global economic catastrophe. When we constantly repeat that capitalism breeds war and offers only bleak prospects, with systemic crises generating war, poverty, and famine, we see it playing out before our eyes. We activists have never been mistaken about this.

Crossing paths with our brothers at the Memory Forum who fought—whether on the battlefield to liberate the country or in building it as nation-builders, like Abdenour Keramane—was an unforgettable moment. In 1962, there was nothing, and everything had to be built. The November revolutionaries fought French colonialism with nothing, and the builders constructed the country from scratch. We must continue this struggle and rid ourselves of neocolonialism by safeguarding the memory of the martyrs and preserving our country’s sovereignty. Algeria will remain standing and sovereign through the dedication of its worthy sons who carry the sacred flame of the November Revolution.

To truly render what these giants have accomplished is nearly impossible, for words are too poor to describe what they did and who they are. They belong to an Olympus we can only admire and cherish. They are immortal and belong to a generation that sacrificed everything. We owe them so much! When I hear Mr. Moumdji speak of Belouizdad and Ahmed Bouda, all those activists who gave their best and so often departed in silence, what a lesson in patriotism and devotion! What pride it is to be Algerian and to claim the mantle of a revolutionary and a successor to the November Revolution! May they be thanked for liberating Algeria and for building it. Thank you all for having existed and for being there for us. Thank you for everything you did for Algeria and for ensuring that this epic remains eternal. Thank you to Moumdji, to Daho, to Keramane, to Haroun, to Doum, to all the comrades present at this ceremony, thank you to you and to those who organized this tribute.

It is crucial to organize this kind of event while these people are still with us, to give them a voice and gather their precious testimonies at a time when some seek to bury our proud history. It is also a way to express our gratitude for all they have accomplished, for without them, where would we be today? It also allows us to pay homage to our martyrs, who live on through the accounts of these heroic actors of our Revolution. How can one not be moved when hearing moudjahid Moumdji recount the death of Belouizdad? We can only encourage such tributes to counter all those who turn their backs on our great history. For hypocrites and deceivers have no place in these magnificent gatherings, which concern only those who carry Algeria in their blood. It is about speaking truthfully, remaining authentic, and staying faithful to the martyrs’ oath. Such is the arduous task of patriots: to keep the sacred flame of the November Revolution alive and to neutralize all anti-national currents, circles, and sects.

Indeed, we must protect our beloved country from all destructive currents and neutralize anti-national forces to preserve our sovereignty. Safeguarding the martyrs’ legacy by fighting oblivion and revisionism is a daily task that requires our utmost vigilance, for neglecting the titanic struggle of our predecessors would leave us defenseless against a new neocolonial assault. Our country is so vast, its resources so abundant, and its varied landscapes so captivating that this very magnificence stirs appetites. Yet imperialism is never satisfied: we see it in the various acts of plunder carried out against Venezuela, Iran, Cuba… This is a demanding task, and our generation must rise to it by perpetuating the message of November, which will remain eternally engraved in the memory of the Algerian people as a guarantee of its freedom and sovereignty.

The song of freedom of revolutionary Algeria, beautiful and defiant, will forever resonate across the planet. Just as it broke the back of colonialism, Algeria, with its people and its great army, will break the back of neocolonialism.

Mohsen Abdelmoumen

Published in French in Algeriepatriotique and in La Nouvelle République