Said Boualam

Who was Said Boualam?

Said Boualam was an Algerian, born at Souk Ahras. He was a colonel in the French Army, and the founder of the Front Algérie Française, a political and militant movement in favour of French Algeria.

He was elected a député during the Fifth Republic for Orléansville, for the party Regroupement national pour l'unité de la République in 1958. On 26 September 1959 he survived an attempted murder.

In 1960 he was responsible for the creation of the Front Algérie Française, which despite its rapid popularity was banned by the French government after less than a year. After the group was disbanded he retired to France in 1962. He died on 8 February 1982 at Mas-Thibert, about 18 kilometres from Arles.

From 1958 to 1962, Boualam was four times elected vice-president of the National Assembly, becoming a symbol of pro-French Muslims.