I spent 24 and a half years in prison
AHMED BEN BELLAI spent 24 and a half years in prison
AHMED BEN BELLAI’m 90 years old now, and my motivation hasn’t changed; it’s the same fervour that drives me.
AHMED BEN BELLAI think that they participated in something that was not very proper and was very pitiful, not only for the Algerian people, but also for the other people who counted on our support.
AHMED BEN BELLAWe trained them, we arranged for the weapons to reach them, we created networks.
AHMED BEN BELLAWhen I was engaged in the struggle for my country, I was very young. My horizons were open.
AHMED BEN BELLAThe French colonisation of Algeria lasted a long time: 132 years.
AHMED BEN BELLAI’m optimistic because I’m pragmatic: Neither of the two sides, the military government nor the Islamic front, is capable of winning. If they continue to fight, they will both bleed to death.
AHMED BEN BELLAAlgeria is not breaking up.
AHMED BEN BELLAYes, I am Algerian of Moroccan origin through my parents, but all my life is Algeria. I was born there.
AHMED BEN BELLAI am a Muslim Arab, in my actions oriented very to the left, in my convictions.
AHMED BEN BELLAThe liberation movement which I led in Algeria, the organization that I created to fight the French army, was at first a small movement of nothing at all.
AHMED BEN BELLAMy life has been a bit special, this is true. I participated in the liberation of my country.
AHMED BEN BELLAAt that precise moment, several countries were still colonised or had barely overcome colonisation. This was the case in practically all of Africa. We supported them.
AHMED BEN BELLAI am not a Marxist, but I place myself resolutely at the left.
AHMED BEN BELLAThis phase has known cruel colonial occupations which have lasted 300 years in Indonesia.
AHMED BEN BELLAThese are the multinationals, like General Motors and Nestle; these are the big industrial groups that weigh, on the monetary scale, much more than big countries like Egypt.
AHMED BEN BELLA