Suleiman Stafi — FLN Freedom Fighter of Blida

Suleiman Stafi was born on 11 April 1911 in the Bab El Zawiya neighborhood of Blida. A founding member of the independence struggle, he paid an enormous personal price for his convictions.

Early Life and Revolutionary Commitment

Stafi grew up in one of Blida's traditional neighborhoods and became politically aware as Algeria's independence movement took shape. When the National Liberation Front was founded in 1954, he was among those who immediately joined its ranks, working alongside fellow freedom fighters Bonama Djilali, Mustafa Naïmi, and Khaled Issa El Bay.

Resistance and Capture

In 1961, Stafi participated in organizing a secret meeting at the Naïmi house in Bab El Khouikha. Captured while attempting to escape, he was imprisoned in Blida and subjected to torture at the former Bab El Rahba soap factory, which had been converted into a detention and interrogation center by colonial authorities (now the Civil Protection center).

When he refused to confess or betray his comrades, he was transferred to the torture center at Oued El Alaïq under Commander Le Viard, where he endured electric shocks and severe physical abuse.

Release and Final Years

Suleiman Stafi was released following the ceasefire that preceded Algerian independence. However, the damage done to his body was irreversible. He relocated to Algiers to receive medical treatment for burns and torture injuries sustained during his captivity.

He died on 14 November 1962 — just months after Algeria achieved independence — at his home in Rouïssou, Algiers. He was buried in Sidi Ahmed Belkor Cemetery.

Legacy

Suleiman Stafi's life encapsulates the hidden cost of Algeria's liberation struggle — endured not on the battlefield, but in the cells and torture chambers of the colonial system. He is honored among the patriots of Blida who gave their health and ultimately their lives for the nation's freedom.