Outlaws in the Aurès Region through Oral Narratives: Mustapha Wassaf as a Case Study

Abstract

The Algerian Liberation Revolution in the Aurès did not arise fortuitously. It was preceded by resistance to repressive colonial policies, widespread poverty, and discriminatory French legislation. From 1944 onward, determined men confronted colonial rule through sabotage and armed clashes, particularly in Jebel Ahmar Khaddou, which offered them refuge. Colonial authorities called them “outlaws” or “honour bandits.” Oral testimonies and historical accounts differ over their struggle and numbers. This study examines Mustapha Wassaf, known as al-Azraq, as a representative of these Aurès fighters. As an initial historical investigation, it reconstructs the circumstances that shaped his trajectory and analyses the methods used by France to eliminate him. Drawing on historical narratives and surviving witnesses’ testimony, it clarifies his place in early armed resistance to colonial rule.