Early Life and Education
Bahia Yountrane was born on 28 January 1940 to Omar and Medane Aïcha in Douiret, the city’s historic working-class district. She excelled in school, attending Strasbourg School and later the Galieni Technical School. From a young age, Bahia showed a strong spirit of resistance.
Role as a Liaison Agent
At just 16, she became a liaison agent. She delivered weapons and documents with precision, avoiding suspicion from paratroopers stationed in the neighborhood. Her gentle, angelic appearance helped her succeed in this dangerous role.
Family Struggles
Bahia rarely experienced family warmth, because arrests constantly affected her relatives. Both parents were repeatedly summoned by authorities. Her brothers faced detention: Mohamed in France, and Ahmed and Abdelkader in Algeria. Meanwhile, Ali and Chaâbane joined the National Liberation Army.
Joining the Fight
Balancing home duties, studies, and her role as a liaison agent, Bahia missed a normal adolescence. She dreamed of joining the National Liberation Army. In 1957, after visiting her brother Ahmed in prison and insisting persistently, she finally obtained permission. She joined her brothers Ali and Chaâbane, along with other fighters, and never returned to Douiret.
Family Exile and Loss
Authorities expelled the Yountrane family from Douiret for sheltering fighters. They were relocated to Tizi Ouzou, then to Kouba. Eventually, they returned home a few months before independence. After the March 1962 ceasefire, mother Aïcha learned that Ali and Chaâbane had fallen in 1957, and that Bahia had been martyred in 1958.
Legacy
Bahia was intelligent, kind, polite, and well-educated. She earned the love and respect of the people of Douiret. Her courage and devotion to her homeland remain an enduring example for others.
رحمها الله وجعل مثواها الجنة