Félix Colozzi

Biography

Félix Louis Giro Colozzi (فيليكس كولوزي), born March 12, 1930, in Algiers and died February 14, 2025, at the age of 95, in Longjumeau (France), was a trade unionist and Fiday fighter for Algerian independence. Félix Louis Giro Colozzi was born on March 12, 1930, in Algiers. Born into a European family living in Algeria, he grew up in a context marked by inequality and colonial domination. From an early age, he became involved in the fight for independence alongside other activists of European origin, such as Henri Maillot, Fernand Iveton, and Maurice Laban. From a young age, Félix Colozzi was active in the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and joined the Algerian Communist Party (PCA). Faced with the intensification of the conflict, the PCA established the Committees for the Defense of Liberties (CDL), clandestine armed struggle networks. In 1956, his commitment took a more radical turn when he joined the ranks of the National Liberation Army (ALN) as an individual, following an agreement between Abane Ramdane and the PCA leadership. An active member of the Greater Algiers shock commando, led by Abdelkader Guerroudj, Félix Colozzi participated in several sabotage operations against the colonial administration. Among his most notable actions was the burning of the Bouchonneries Internationales warehouse in 1956, one of the first spectacular attacks carried out by the urban resistance in Algiers. This act targeted the economic interests of the colonial administration and was part of a strategy to harass the French government. Arrested shortly thereafter, Félix Colozzi was sentenced to life imprisonment and incarcerated in several prisons, including Serkadji and Lambèze. He shared the fate of many activists imprisoned and tortured by the colonial regime. Released in 1962, just after independence, Félix Colozzi chose to remain in Algeria and obtained Algerian nationality. He pursued engineering studies in Bulgaria before returning to serve his adopted country as an executive in various public institutions until his retirement in 1992. Throughout his life, he remained a witness and a transmitter of memory. He published a book entitled Prison Memoirs: 1956-1962 and participated in various documentaries on the struggle for independence, including "They Joined the Front," directed by Jean Asselmeyer in 2012. Félix Colozzi died on February 14, 2025, at the age of 95, in Longjumeau, France. Before his death, he had expressed the wish to be buried in Algeria, the country for which he had fought. His burial took place in the Martyrs' Square of the El Alia Cemetery in Algiers, in the presence of numerous prominent figures and former resistance fighters. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune paid tribute to him, recognizing his commitment and sacrifice for Algeria, which he served until his last breath.