Middle East Studies

Meriem Merzouga

Former close aide to first Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella

Meriem Merzouga, originally from the Casbah of Algiers, was a close aide to first Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella. Based in France during most of the war, she was active in the French Federation of the FLN until returning to Algeria in 1962. She became a privileged witness of the formation of the first Algerian government and nascent Independent Algerian State.