The tragedy of Zakaria Radouane revives the debate on the repatriation of remains found in Algeria. When human fate becomes a political instrument in the hands of the failing Algerian regime. Since the beginning of last April, Zakaria’s body has been resting in an Algerian morgue and his family’s distress calls have continued without any response from the Algerian authorities.
It all started on March 9, 2024 when Zakaria Radouane, a young man from M’diq, took to the sea in the hope of reaching Sebta in search of a better future. But destiny decided otherwise… And from there, the life of an entire family was turned upside down.
Hespress FR was able to contact the brother of the deceased who told us about the tragic fate of Radouane: “ Instead of reaching the Spanish coast, it was the bottom of the sea that welcomed it. His body was found washed up on the beaches of Algeria, in Aïn Témouchent, on April 1, 2024, after waiting for around twenty days.“, he told us.
Zakaria’s family, devastated, took an initiative that seemed simple: recover their son’s body. An approach which, in a “pays” normal, would be as trivial as asking a manager for information. But now, they are dealing with Algeria, and there, simple repatriation becomes a logistical feat worthy of the greatest epics.
The family bereaved by the loss of their son tried, on several occasions, to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad. Waiting, the loved ones of the deceased only have to implore the divine force to keep the process rolling.
At the age of 25, in search of a European El Dorado, Zakaria leaves life forever, leaving behind unfinished dreams and a family in distress.
-As for the Algerian authorities, visibly too caught up in their own internal concerns, demonstrated a reactivity worthy of a snail under the influence of a sleeping pill. Repatriating a body – even that of a young man drowned in their waters – appears to be as complex as launching a space mission. And all this, of course, to the detriment of the grieving family who, between administrative procedures and bureaucratic delays, is still waiting for their son to be buried and finally rest in peace.
The real problem, however, is not simply the slowness of the authorities. No, what is truly shocking is the logic that governs this situation. Repatriate a body? A formality! But in an Algeria where bureaucracy turns into a labyrinth, it seems that recovering a remains is more difficult than crossing the desert on foot. Between documents to complete, authorizations to obtain and the ineffable “processing time” of requests, Zakaria’s family finds itself trapped in an administrative whirlwind worthy of the worst horror films.
And meanwhile, the noises from the corridors suggest that the family may have to “ wait a little longer“. This is not the first time where Algiers has chosen to delay the repatriation of the body, using drama to fuel hostile rhetoric towards Rabat. This situation illustrates a well-known tendency of the Algerian totalitarian power, namely to exploit human tragedies for political ends.
Ironically, this drama highlights an issue that goes beyond Zakaria’s personal tragedy. It illustrates a much broader reality: that of bureaucratic management which “tramples” human dignity. And while the family waits for the sea to deign to return what it has taken, the question remains unanswered: until when will Algeria ignore the suffering of those who fight, not only against the sea, but also against absurd mountains of paperwork?
