Flags of Algeria and France [Riccardo Milani / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP / Getty Images]
Algeria’s Defence Ministry announced on Sunday the launch of a second operation to remove radioactive waste from former French nuclear test sites in the Sahara Desert, as Paris continues to refuse to hand over maps showing where the waste was buried or take responsibility for clearing it.
The ministry said in a statement that the operation had begun on Sunday at the Beryl E2 test tunnel site in the In Ekker area of Tamanrasset province, in the country’s far south.
The work is being carried out under the supervision of the Defence Ministry and in coordination with the National Agency for the Rehabilitation of Former French Nuclear Test and Explosion Sites in southern Algeria, the statement said.
It added that the operation is being conducted using Algerian expertise and resources, in line with applicable national and international standards.
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The ministry accused France of evading its responsibilities and refusing to hand over records and maps showing the locations where nuclear waste was buried, saying the issue continued to hinder development in In Eker, in Tamanrasset province, and Reggane, in Adrar province in the country’s south-west.
It said Algerian specialists are working to clear the nuclear waste left behind by French colonial rule in southern Algeria and rehabilitate the affected sites.
The operation, for which the state has allocated financial and human resources, includes identifying radioactive areas, collecting nuclear waste and storing it in specially designed concrete containers, while adhering to safety procedures and international standards.
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