Between 1960 and 1966, France carried out 17 nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara.
High levels of radioactivity, and a failure to safely dispose of nuclear waste, have left a dangerous legacy.
Dan Hardoon speaks to Abdelkrim Touhami, who was just a teenager when the French authorities announced a nuclear test near his home.
A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Dummies at the nuclear testing site in the Algerian Sahara. Credit: Getty Images)