Ahmed Ben Bella Autograph

Ahmed Ben Bella
First and legendary Presient of Algeria, Hero of Algerian Independence War has died at age 96.

He was born in 1916. After the Independence War against France ( 1954-1962 ) Ben Bella became first Prime Minister ( 1962-1963 ) and first President (1963-1965 ) of Algeria. In 1965 he was deposed by Houari Boumedienne ( 1932-1978 )  and placed under house arrest until 1980. He exiled to Switzerland in 1980 and allowed to return home in 1990. He died on 11 April 2012 in Algiers. As a young school boy I read a lot in papers about Ben Bella. He was friend of the Soviet Union (in 1964 he was awarded the title „ Hero of Soviet Union” )  and – as a „freedom fighter” - he was popular in the communist Hungary. I wrote him several letters to Algeria, but no answer. In the 1980s I was informed he went to exile. I had  several years long correspondence with different people and organizations  while finally somebody told me his address in Switzerland. He was a well protected person and his house number, road name and village’s name were secret for many years. In his home Ben Bella lived with his daughter. First I contacted the daughter who forwarded my small photo and letter to her father. Ben Bella kindly dedicated the picture. In 2004 I wrote him again, and he signed and dedicated a nice big photo. He had a very nice handwriting.  Finally I sent  a post card of the ancien Alger to him and Ben Bella also signed it.







  

 
His three signed pictures are important items in my collection.


Dr. Zoltán Márián