| Hassiba Ben Bouali | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hassiba Ben Bouali 18 January 1938 Orléansville, French Algeria (now Chlef, Algeria) |
| Died | 9 October 1957 (aged 19) Casbah, Algiers, French Algeria (now Algeria) |
| Alma mater | University of Algiers |
| Organization | Armée de Libération Nationale (ALN) |
| Known for | Battle of Algiers |
| Political movement | Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Hassiba Ben Bouali (18 January 1938, Chlef – 9 October 1957) was a female hero of the Algerian independence war (1954–62).
She was born in Chlef, Algeria. Her parents installed themselves in Algiers in 1947, where she followed her studies in the Lycée Delacroix (high-school). She adhered to the Scout Movement and discovered the Algerian people's misery by travelling. This motivated her to take membership in the Union Générale des Étudiants Musulmans Algériens (General Union of Algerian Muslim Students) in 1954, at the age of 16. Hassiba Ben Bouali participated in the nationalist struggle until her death. Participating to the Battle of Algiers, she and three companions including Ali Ammar (aka Ali La Pointe) were killed in 1957 when French forces bombed their hideout in the Casbah in Algiers.
One of the largest avenues in Algiers and the University of Chlef were named after her.
Benbouali was depicted in the movie The Battle of Algiers by Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo.