Massacre of El Ouffia 1832

On the night of 17 April 1832, French forces immediately after the capture of Algiers brutally massacred the tribe of El Ouffia by slaughtering their men, women and children in their sleep. The reason was because they were being  suspected in stealing from the envoy of Ferhat ben Sayed in Ziban who was an Agha collaborating with the French invaders.

The crime was supervised by Duke of Rovigo commander of the French army, he sent 300 from the cavalry of Huntsmen of Africa and 300 from the cavalry of French Foreign Legion to destroy the tribe of El Ouffia at night and to kill them with blades in their tents, the death toll of the tribe was around 12,000 killed in one night.

Above Image (Massacre of El Ouffia)

One French soldier who was part of this massacre wrote on his dairy:

“We eliminated all we found who was moving (people) whatever it was from male or female, old or young then when we came back from our shameful campaign our cavalry cared skulls on their spears then we celebrated around these skulls.”

“All cattales and valued properties that we captured after the massacre were sold to the consul of Denmark in Algeria and what is left from the properties was sold in the market of Bab Azzoun, where the Europeans were able to buy bracelets of gold with the wrist of a women cutted and earrings were on sale are still attached to the ear, then we shared the quarter of the selling between us (who committed the massacre).”

The ruthless commander Duke of Rovigo has wrote in his official memo:

“Thanks and gratitude of the enthusiasm and intelligence shown my troops.”

Then he ordered his soldiers to force the people in Algiers to keep the light of their shops open until late in the night so the French can celebrate about the massacre they committed in El Harach.

Rabia Ben Sidi Ghanem who was the Sheikh and  the leader of the tribe of El Ouffia was captured by the French forces during the massacre, he was on trial in the French council of war but they decided to execute him in 19 April 1832 in Bab Azzoun, despite the intervention of many civil and military characters although the French inspector sent a letter to the Prime minister claiming that the charges against the leader of the tribe was not based on reality which he was blamed for stealing in Ziban (Biskra).