The first leader of independent Algeria, prime minister in exile in Tunis from 1958 to 1961, while the liberation war was still being fought against France. After independence had been achieved in 1962 he became Chairman of the National Constituent Assembly. However, his moderate position disagreed with the revolutionary designs of the National Liberation Front (FLN) of Ahmed Ben Bella, and he soon resigned and was put under house arrest. Ben Bella then became first president of Algeria. Released in 1964, he lived quietly until his death in Algiers on 24 December 1985
Born on 24 August 1899 in the village of Taher near Qacentina (Constantine), Abbas entered politics and became a champion of Algerian ffreedom against French rule. He prepared the 'Manifesto of the Algerian People', proclaimed on 10 February 1943. He formed the Friends of the Manifesto and Liberty, and in 1946 after his release from prison the Democratic Union of the Algerian Manifesto. At this stage he envisaged an autonomous Algeria in union with France, because of the large number of native-born French there, the colons.
But finding no sympathy from the French authorities he fled to Cairo and joined the National Liberation Front. They declared a provisional government on 19 September 1958 led by Abbas.
Algeria - Ahmed Ben Bella >