NFLAs join nuclear test appeal to French and Algerian Governments.

Invisible Enemy
Aug 29, 2025
7 min read

On the UN International Day against Nuclear Tests (29 August), the UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities have joined French, Algerian and global partners in appealing to the French and Algerian Governments for justice for the victims of French nuclear tests in North Africa.

In February of this year, NFLA Secretary Richard Outram joined a webinar organised by SHOAA for Human Rights (https://shoaa.org/) to mark the sixty-fifth anniversary of the first nuclear test conducted by France in its colony of Algeria. This exposed French soldiers and Indigenous Tuareg civilians to radiation.

Richard spoke about the similarities in their experience with that of the nuclear test veterans and the Indigenous peoples exposed to radiation by British atomic and nuclear tests in Australia and the South Pacific.

On that occasion, the NFLA released a media release detailing the impact of the Blue Jerboa test on 13 February 1960:

https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/news/nflas-endorse-international-appeal-for-justice over-french-nuclear-tests/

We have also republished an essay our NFLA Secretary wrote whilst studying in Australia about the human and environmental impact of British atomic testing at Maralinga and Emu Field in South Australia.

https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/briefings/nfla-policy-briefing-274-ignorance-incompetence-and-cynicism-the-attitudes-the-military-and-scientific-authorities adopted-to-aboriginal-rights-and-safety-during-and-after-the-tes/

In support of the campaign for justice, access to personnel records, and compensation in the UK, the NFLAs have been campaigning with British veterans and their families sending repeated letters to past and present ministers seeking restitution, so far without success.

French counterparts are carrying out similar work on behalf of the victims of French testing, so it was natural for the NFLAs to support this latest appeal – a letter sent on the UN International Day against Nuclear Tests to both the French and Algerian Governments.

Repeating words first spoken in February, Richard said: “Although the British and French Governments refuse to sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, they should at least honour the spirit of Articles 6 and 7 by establishing voluntary funds to provide for ‘victim assistance and environmental remediation’ compensating veterans, families and communities who suffered, and who continue to suffer, from testing.”

For more information, please email the NFLA Secretary, Richard Outram, at richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk

Articles 6 and 7 of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Article 6 Victim assistance and environmental remediation

1. Each State Party shall, with respect to individuals under its jurisdiction who are affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons, in accordance with applicable international humanitarian and human rights law, adequately provide age- and gender-sensitive assistance, without discrimination, including medical care, rehabilitation and psychological support, as well as provide for their social and economic inclusion.

2. Each State Party, with respect to areas under its jurisdiction or control contaminated as a result of activities related to the testing or use of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, shall take necessary and appropriate measures towards the environmental remediation of areas so contaminated.

3. The obligations under paragraphs 1 and 2 above shall be without prejudice to the duties and obligations of any other States under international law or bilateral agreements.

Article 7 International cooperation and assistance

1. Each State Party shall cooperate with other States Parties to facilitate the implementation of this Treaty.

2. In fulfilling its obligations under this Treaty, each State Party shall have the right to seek and receive assistance, where feasible, from other States Parties.

3. Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide technical, material and financial assistance to States Parties affected by nuclear-weapons use or testing, to further the implementation of this Treaty.

4. Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the victims of the use or testing of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

5. Assistance under this Article may be provided, inter alia, through the United Nations system, international, regional or national organizations or institutions, non-governmental organizations or institutions, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or on a bilateral basis.

6. Without prejudice to any other duty or obligation that it may have under international law, a State Party that has used or tested nuclear weapons or any other nuclear explosive devices shall have a responsibility to provide adequate assistance to affected States Parties, for the purpose of victim assistance and environmental remediation.

The letter endorsed by the NFLAs (this was also reproduced in French and Arabic):

French Nuclear Tests in Algeria – Joint Statement by 20 Organisations on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests

We, the undersigned organizations, on the occasion of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, 29 August 2025, express our deep concern at the passing of more than six decades since the start of the series of nuclear tests conducted by France in the Algerian Sahara between 1960 and 1966. These included 17 nuclear explosions in addition to 40 subcritical supplementary tests, leaving a heavy legacy of widespread radioactive contamination and resulting in severe health, environmental, and social damage that remains to this day.

These tests left a tragic mark on the lives of thousands of people, with affected areas recording alarming increases in cancer rates, chronic respiratory diseases, and birth defects, alongside the ongoing degradation of natural resources, disruption of livelihoods, and weakening of the social and economic fabric of local communities. They also caused deep psychological scars, exacerbated by the lack of adequate medical care and the absence of transparency regarding the real risks.

Nearly a year has passed since UN Special Rapporteurs sent communications to both the Algerian and French governments on 13 September 2024. We regret that no response has been received to date, reflecting the continued official neglect of a protracted humanitarian and environmental tragedy.

We affirm that more than six decades after this disaster, it cannot be considered outdated or forgotten. The current diplomatic tension between Algeria and France should not serve as a pretext to ignore this issue or to justify inaction. On the contrary, the sensitivity of relations between the two countries should prompt both to place the shared humanitarian interest above any political or circumstantial dispute, and to treat this matter as a fundamentally humanitarian, human rights, and environmental file that cannot be subjected to bargaining or delay. Addressing the legacy of these nuclear tests is a shared historical, moral, and legal responsibility, and justice can only be achieved through genuine, practical steps by both parties, in a spirit of cooperation and transparency, away from political tensions.

Accordingly, we call for the following:

First – From Both the Algerian and French Governments:

1- Open serious discussions between the two governments to make the nuclear testing issue a top priority, addressing it with seriousness and responsibility in light of the environmental, health, and human damage whose effects are still ongoing today.

2- Establish a joint follow-up commission on the consequences of nuclear and other tests on health and the environment, including representatives from both governments, parliamentarians, and victims’ associations, tasked with monitoring the issue, ensuring transparency, and guaranteeing genuine commitment from both parties.

3- Emphasize that this issue must neither fall into oblivion nor be exploited as a tool of pressure in the current context of diplomatic tensions, but rather remain a humanitarian and environmental priority, requiring sincere and responsible cooperation between both sides, beyond narrow political considerations, in order to ensure justice for the victims and safeguard the rights of future generations.

Second – From the French Government:

1- Official and full recognition of the nuclear crimes committed in Algeria, with the acceptance of legal and moral responsibility, the provision of fair and comprehensive compensation to the victims, and the guarantee of their access to appropriate healthcare.

2- Full and immediate disclosure of all documents and maps related to the nuclear tests, including the locations of buried radioactive waste, the delivery of a complete copy of the nuclear archives to Algeria, the cessation of invoking “national security” as a pretext, and ensuring Algeria’s access to accurate information on contaminated areas.

3- Practical measures by France to address the damage caused by nuclear tests, including the decontamination of polluted areas, and the signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as a step reflecting good faith and ensuring truth and justice for affected populations.

Third – From the Algerian Government:

1- Take immediate action to protect public health in affected areas through the development and implementation of a comprehensive national plan to address the environmental and health impacts of the French nuclear tests. This includes launching regular field studies to monitor the health status of affected populations, providing specialized medical support to radiation victims, ensuring the participation of civil society and specialized organizations, and delivering accurate information to local communities about the ongoing risks.

2- Ensure transparency and continuous, serious follow-up of this issue by establishing clear mechanisms and a defined timeline, and by publishing an annual detailed report on the activities of the National Agency for the Rehabilitation of Former Nuclear Test and Explosion Sites in southern Algeria.

3- Proceed with the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), using all legal and diplomatic means to guarantee the rights of victims and facilitate their access to documents and archives related to the nuclear tests, while taking the necessary measures to prevent new victims. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to continue the struggle to ensure justice for the victims, remove the legacy of this disaster, and work together to protect future generations from similar risks. Marking this anniversary each year is not only a moment to remember the tragedy but also to renew the call for recognition of the harm, guarantee justice, and work seriously to remove the consequences of this environmental and humanitarian crime so that such disasters never happen again anywhere in the world.

Organizations signing:

1- SHOAA for Human Rights

2- International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

3- Observatoire des Armements / Centre de Documentation et de Recherche sur la Paix et les Conflits (CDRPC)

4- ICAN France

5- International Peace Bureau

6- UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities

7- Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

8- Nuclear Truth Project

9- Action on Armed Violence

10- ContrAtom Genève

11- Initiatives pour le désarmement nucléaire (IDN)