[5] Thus in July 1860, colonist Paul Just, a native of Embrun in the Hautes Alpes, by order of Governor General Patrice de MacMahon, arrived on the Col des Beni Aïcha escorted by a military garrison to found an agricultural concession.

[8] During the day of 19 April 1837, the Algerian rebels sprang from the south of the colonial village of Col des Beni Aïcha coming from liberated Palestro, and arriving from the Issers and the heights of the Iflissen, and invaded the entire periphery of the future Menerville then Thenia.

The rebels of the Iflissen (Flissas), the Issers, the Beni Aïcha, the Beni-Amran and the Khachnas then went to the colonial village of the Col des Beni-Aïcha, from which the settlers were able to escape in time, but who was looted, then set on fire.

Cheikh Mokrani, for his part, remained entrenched in liberated Palestro and gave his orders to the rebel troops, while orchestrating and preparing the coveted capture of Algiers.

Colonel Fourchault had barricaded himself in the burnt and looted village while waiting for reinforcements from General Orphis Léon Lallemand who had gathered in Alma to rush on the Col des Beni Aïcha to free it from the insurrection of Cheikh Mokrani.

[12] Without hesitating a second, and without waiting for reinforcements, General Lallemand left Alma with his head down, and the next day, Tuesday 9 May 1871, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, his military column was encamped at the Col des Beni Aïcha, which gives access to Great Kabylia.

[13] On 7 May 1871, Colonel Fourchault was thus instructed to go and burn the villages of the Ammal on the left bank of the Oued Isser, which were abandoned by their inhabitants, and he had to operate with a light column of infantry without bags and cavalry.

Shortly before arriving at the Beni Aïcha pass, General Lallemand had doubts as to whether the villages of Soumâa, Gueddara, Meraldene, Tabrahimt and Azela had really provided hostages.

After this raid of punishment, the column of Fourchault established its bivouac at the deserted Col des Beni-Aïcha, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon after having traveled 20 kilometers, and it found water there at the fountain of the village and to a fairly abundant spring located above the camp.