President Tebboune to Algeria’s Students: “You Are the Builders of a Strong and Triumphant Nation”

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

On the 69th Anniversary of National Student Day, President Tebboune Pays Homage to the Martyrdom of 1956’s Student Revolutionaries While Reaffirming the Youth’s Role in Leading Algeria Toward Knowledge-Based Economic Sovereignty

Algiers, Algeria | May 18th, 2025 — On the eve of the 69th anniversary of National Student Day, commemorated each year on May 19, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune delivered a powerfully resonant message to the nation’s university students, describing them as the “torchbearers of Algeria’s future” and the heirs of a revolutionary legacy forged in sacrifice, resilience, and unshakable patriotism.

 

In a statement issued on Sunday, President Tebboune emphasized the critical role the youth—especially those immersed in academic life and scientific pursuit—play in advancing Algeria’s aspirations for excellence, innovation, and sovereignty.

“It gives me great pleasure, on this occasion celebrated by our sons and daughters in universities across the nation, to salute the Algerian youth—motivated by a deep sense of patriotism and striving for success—who are determined to contribute to the building of a strong and victorious Algeria by following in the footsteps of their pioneering predecessors,” the President declared.

A Reverent Salute to the Martyrs of May 19, 1956

In an emotionally charged tribute, the President honoured the heroism of the student generation of the 1950s who, on May 19, 1956, in response to the historic call by the General Union of Algerian Muslim Students (UGEMA), abandoned lecture halls and campuses to join the maquis of the National Liberation Army in the midst of the French colonial occupation.

“This generation, deeply infused with the spirit of patriotism, made the noble decision to forsake university benches and take up arms, affirming to the world that the Algerian people are free and resolute in remaining so, answering the eternal call of November 1 for liberty,” Tebboune stressed.

Recalling the severe educational deprivation imposed by colonial policies designed to erase Algeria’s national identity, the President reflected on the tremendous challenges the country faced after independence.

“In the aftermath of liberation, Algeria had to confront profound deficits in education and teaching—a legacy of a systematic colonial policy of illiteracy, exclusion, and cultural annihilation,” he noted.

Algeria’s Educational Rebirth and the Mission of the New Generation

President Tebboune underscored that, thanks to the unwavering will of its patriots, Algeria succeeded in overcoming this historical rupture by building a dignified and inclusive national university system. He praised the development of educational infrastructure throughout all regions of the country and the consistent efforts to ensure quality pedagogical training and a conducive environment for academic growth.

“Today, Algeria proudly boasts a university system that meets the needs of our youth, reflects national ambition, and stands as a foundational locomotive in our drive toward sustainable development and economic diversification,” he affirmed.

These accomplishments, according to the President, are manifested in the growing number of graduates, the strategic investment in human and financial resources, and the decisive positioning of universities as hubs of creativity and progress.

Aligning Academia with Economic Reality

Reiterating his administration’s unwavering commitment to upgrading the Algerian university system, President Tebboune outlined his vision for aligning higher education with the demands of a knowledge-based and diversified economy.

“We remain fully committed to promoting our national institutions of higher learning and training across all levels and disciplines to keep pace with economic realities and transitions toward a knowledge economy,” he affirmed.

In this regard, the President stressed the importance of integrating young graduates into the national economic dynamic through supportive mechanisms such as the creation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“We will continue to facilitate and support initiatives that enable students and graduates to contribute actively to these inevitable transformations toward an open, competitive, and diversified economy,” he pledged.

Celebrating Algeria’s Young Innovators

President Tebboune reserved special praise for the distinguished academic achievers and innovators who, within Algeria’s universities, have mastered advanced technologies and demonstrated remarkable ingenuity.

“We take great pride in the accomplishments of our brilliant students, whose creativity and excellence in innovation mirror the promise of our nation. They embody the spirit of the new Algeria,” he stated.

He concluded by extending heartfelt congratulations to all students—men and women alike—who are shaping the destiny of the country and carrying forth the proud legacy of martyrs like Amara Rachid and Taleb Abderrahmane, among others who engraved their names in golden ink in the chronicles of Algeria’s national history.

A Historic Turning Point: May 19, 1956

President Tebboune’s message is a powerful recognition of the catalytic role that students played in 1956—at a pivotal juncture when the Algerian War of Independence was still in its infancy. At that time, students aged between 16 and 19 courageously responded to the patriotic call to arms, especially amid a period marked by severe military repression and the martyrdom of revolutionary leaders such as Didouche Mourad and Badji Mokhtar.

The tipping point came after a spate of brutal assassinations and violent repression by French colonial forces, including the disappearance of student Ferhat Hadjadj, the killings of Belkacem Zeddour and writer-activist Ahmed Réda Houhou, the murder of Dr. Benaouda Benzerdjeb in Tlemcen, and the horrific immolation of schoolboy Brahmi in his mechta in Béjaïa.

These atrocities ignited a fierce debate among students. In a charged general assembly organized by UGEMA on May 17 and 18, 1956, a passionate majority voted for an indefinite strike of classes and exams—marking a momentous rupture with colonial institutions.

The subsequent UGEMA communiqué echoed with the raw urgency of the revolutionary moment:

“Indeed, having a diploma will not make us better corpses! And we, the so-called ‘cadres of tomorrow,’ are offered the chance to lead what? Whom? Ruins and piles of cadavers—perhaps those of Constantine, Tébessa, Philippeville (Skikda), Tlemcen? Our inaction in the face of this war being waged before our very eyes makes us accomplices to the vile accusations thrown at our brave National Army. The false calm in which we’ve taken refuge no longer satisfies our consciences.”

This resounding message remains alive today, as Algeria’s modern student body shoulders the torch once carried by their martyred predecessors—charged with the mission of rebuilding their homeland through knowledge, innovation, and unwavering patriotism.

President Tebboune’s closing words could not have been more direct:

“You, the students of today, are the builders of the Algeria of tomorrow—strong, sovereign, and victorious.”

 

 

 

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