Algeria launches second cleanup operation at In Ekker nuclear test site

Seventy years after the Beryl test, Algeria has launched a second cleanup operation at the E2 nuclear site in In Ekker, Tamanrasset province. Overseen by the Ministry of National Defense and the National Agency for the Rehabilitation of Former Nuclear Test Sites, the project aims to mitigate the environmental impact of France's colonial-era atomic legacy. The technical operation involves mapping radioactive zones, collecting waste, and securing it within specialized concrete containers, all while adhering to international safety standards. The Algerian Ministry of Defense has officially denounced the French government’s refusal to provide maps of nuclear burial sites and its failure to fulfill its legal responsibilities. Despite the lack of cooperation from Paris, Algeria continues to rely on its own national expertise to rehabilitate these contaminated regions in the Sahara.