Aïn Azel

The commune of Aïn Azel (French: Ampère[1], Tamazight: ⴰⵉⵏ ⴰⵣⵍ) was a farming settlement constructed by France in 1895 and named after the French scientist André-Marie Ampère, Aïn Azel is located fifty kilometres south of Sétif in Algeria and is at the frontier between Sétif Province and Batna Province.

The area of Sétif (and consequently Ampère 'Ain Azel') was considered since March 4,1848 as an integral part of French territory, Algeria was administratively organized in the same way as the Métropole for a hundred years.

[2] Ain Azel is very important road junction, a necessary passage towards the southern region, HODNA and BISKRA but also the region of BATNA as travellers, by taking the EL GUIBA pass in search of pastures and work, join the TELL and the Friday market in Ampère allows them to trade and stock up for the trip through the Aures Mountains, therefore Ain Azel was the gate to Aures mountains.

In 1844, a French military column leaving SETIF on August 31 with the mission of organizing the exploitation of construction and heating wood in the BOU TALEB forest, established a temporary camp near the site of AÏN-AZEL and praised the qualities of the location and what it had to offer.

6 kilometers to the east of the future village was the military colonization farm, a Christian cemetery, where the graves of the soldiers of the 61st Line of Colonel BERNELLE, as well as the victims of the bloody engagement of March 23, 1850 and the first settlers of the period 1839-1845 were laid to rest.

The only necessary and urgent expenses for the establishment of the colony were: January 29, 1894: the engineer of Bridges and Roads, draws up an estimate of the work necessary for the creation of the center, it amounts to 128,000 francs.

June 26, 1896: a poster announcing the tendering of the works of first installation of the village; Mr. CARLONNE Pierre was the successful bidder for a discount of 27% for a total cost of 89,588.45 francs of the first sold plot in newly constructed Ampère.

The progress made in such a short space of time, the commission was therefore unanimously in favor of the project to extend the perimeter of this center by enlarging the original concessions and by forming new farm lots.

[6] 1908: AMPERE center and the expansion area are increasingly prosperous, the health status is very satisfactory, the population is made up of 614 inhabitants including 241 French with 15 births and one death were recorded this year.

VILLARD Albert, who was in SETIF on Tuesday, obtained, through the Administrator delegated to the sub-prefecture authorization to distribute the weapons of war stored at the Town Hall of Ain Azel (Approx: 50 LEBEL rifles modèle 86/93 and 5000 ammunitions).

The natives, of Chaouïa origin, did not cause rebellion, their Agellids (Leaders), rural guards were ready to defend Chaouia village against any French crackdown without any weapons of their own.

Poplar foliage isolated the square where a dance floor was set up, surrounded by benches, tables and chairs, two orchestras, among the best in SETIF, entertained until dawn on these two nights All the families, most of them completely destitute, came from the deprived, poor regions of Metropolitan France, in particular, Ardèche, Ariège, Tarn, Haute Savoie, Corsica, Alsace-Lorraine and also from the Mediterranean regions, including Malta, Southern Italy, Sicily, etc.

To the north is a marshy area where the water from the spring flows, the unhealthiness of this small marsh cannot be felt at the place designated for the village site.