Film says France used chemical weapons in Algeria’s independence war
An Al Jazeera documentary cites records and testimony alleging French forces used gas attacks despite the 1925 Geneva Protocol.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
A new Al Jazeera documentary says the French army covertly used chemical weapons during Algeria’s war of independence, in breach of international law. The film matters because it ties witness accounts to archival material that it says shows official knowledge of chemical attacks during the conflict.
The 51-minute film draws on testimony from former French soldiers and Algerian fighters, alongside documents examined by historian Christophe Lafaye. According to the documentary, those materials show France violated the 1925 Geneva Protocol, which restricted the use of chemical and biological weapons in war.
Lafaye’s evidence includes a 1956 letter from a senior army commander to the French government. The documentary says the letter refers to the “use of chemical means,” a phrase presented as part of the record of army planning and operations.
Al Jazeera reports that France created a Special Weapons Unit in December 1956. The unit used CN2D gas, described in the film as the same gas used during World War I, to attack Algerian fighters sheltering in mountain caves.
The documentary says the campaign has been only partly recorded. It puts the estimated number of incidents at between 8,000 and 10,000, while saying that 440 attacks have been documented so far.
One attack highlighted in the film took place at Ghar Ben Shatouh in March 1959. According to the documentary, about 150 civilians were killed there, making it one of the deadliest attacks described in the film.
The account combines military paperwork with accounts from people on both sides of the war. Former French soldiers and Algerian fighters describe operations that the documentary says were kept secret and carried out despite the international rules in place at the time.
The film also places the alleged use of chemical weapons against France’s later legal position. Al Jazeera says France did not formally prohibit chemical weapons until 1993, more than three decades after Algeria became independent.
The documentary, titled “Algeria: Toxic colonisation,” was published by Al Jazeera on July 22, 2026. It presents the chemical weapons allegations as part of a wider examination of France’s conduct during Algeria’s independence struggle.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.