Beaufre’s zonal strategy cleared populations to deny the FLN supplies and recruits

Evidence

Noting that there was no parallel djemaa tradition in the Arab Constantinois, and critical of the army’s prevailing strategy (or lack of one) of attempting to be strong everywhere, Beaufre divided his area into different zones of varying priority. Sparsely populated regions were ordained zones interdites, their inhabitants resettled elsewhere and the army permitted to fire on any person observed there, thus physically denying the F.L.N. all access to food or supplies. Fertile and populous centres were dubbed zones de pacification, where to assure total security Beaufre concentrated the mass of his conscript and reservist forces (aiming for a minimum physical presence of one company per 100 square kilometres), accompanied by a major effort in economic advancement, education and propaganda indoctrination. Finally, there were zones d’opérations — “killing-grounds” where F.L.N. bands were relentlessly pursued and harried by Beaufre’s élite mobile forces. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 503

Categorization

• XREF: The zones interdites foreshadow depopulation and resettlement methods tied to wider colonial ‘pacification’ logic across Africa.