French nuclear weapons tests in Algeria
The French nuclear weapons tests in Algeria took place from 1960 to 1966. In the Évian Treaties of March 1962, with which Algeria gained independence, the force de frappe was allowed to use the test facilities for missiles and nuclear weapons for another five years. A total of seventeen nuclear weapons tests were carried out, four of them above ground (in Reggane ) and thirteen underground (in In Ekker ).
Above-ground nuclear weapons tests
About 50 km southwest of Reggane in the Adrar province or 20 km south of Hamoudia was the French nuclear weapons test site, Center Saharan des Expérimentations Militaires (CSEM) ( 26 ° 21 ′ N , 0 ° 8 ′ W ).
France conducted its first nuclear weapon test on February 13, 1960 with a 70 kT nuclear weapon . She was about four times as powerful as the Hiroshima bomb detonated, was at the top of a 105 meter high steel frame and was called bleue Gerboise - Operation Blue gerbil (after occurring in the region jumping mouse ).
Further above-ground nuclear weapons tests - each with less than 5 kt - took place on the premises
- on April 1, 1960,
- on December 27, 1960 and
- on April 25, 1961.
The Sahara in a radius of 300 km southwest to 300 km east of Hamoudia was almost deserted at the time. All four clouds of radioactive fallout were blowing in these directions. In 2010 it became known that after the last attempt on April 25, 1961 , the French army knowingly exposed a squad of 300 soldiers to ionizing radiation . In this attempt, according to the relevant military report, the "physiological and psychological effects of nuclear weapons on humans" should be investigated in order to obtain the "elements necessary for the physical preparation and moral training of the modern fighter." For this purpose, the men had to stand up to Approach the explosion site within 700 meters. Many of them still suffer from radiation and have either developed cancer or died prematurely.
At the request of Algeria, the IAEA examined the site and wrote in a report from 2005 that no action was necessary due to the low level of radioactivity. Access to the four locations of the explosion should / need only be prohibited if there is major activity in the area.
Underground nuclear weapons tests
The French nuclear weapons test site Center d'Expérimentations Militaires des Oasis (CEMO) is located at In Ekker in the Tan Affela massif in Hoggar about 150 km northwest of Tamanrasset next to the N 1 road ( 24 ° 3 ′ N , 5 ° 3 ′ E ).
A total of 13 underground tests were carried out here (between November 7, 1961 and February 16, 1966).
In the second Béryl test , the closure of the test tunnel did not withstand the explosion; this pushed radioactive gas and dust into the atmosphere, which the wind was blowing in an easterly direction. According to the French Ministry of Defense, a maximum of 230 people were affected by the fallout; no immediate physical consequences were found. Apparently many of these people have suffered long-term effects; these were also the subject of legal disputes in France. The immediate vicinity of the test tunnel is (as of 2008) apparently still heavily contaminated and not effectively cordoned off.
Compensation for victims
It is estimated that 150,000 military and civilian employees were involved in a total of 210 tests in Algeria and Polynesia. The civilian population living in the test areas was and is also affected. There were no publicly known figures (as of February 2010) about the people who suffered from cancer and other effects of radiation and died. According to the victims' organization AVEN (Association des vétérans des essais nucléaires), the contaminated area has not yet been decontaminated .
The documentary Gerboise bleue by Djamel Ouahab , published in 2009, deals with the experiments and their effects .
See also: Compensation for Victims of Nuclear Bomb Tests
Web links
- Tagesschau : France compensates nuclear test victims in the Algerian Sahara
Individual evidence
- ↑ "Soldiers abused for nuclear tests", report by the orf dated February 17, 2010 ( memento of the original dated May 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Report of the fr. Ministry of Defense, in French ( Memento of September 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Bruno Barrillot: French Nuclear Tests in the Sahara , Science for Democratic Action, April 2008 ( PDF )
- ↑ www.aven.org )
- ↑ ntv ( online )
- ↑ Information about the film on imdb.de
- ↑ trailer
