A Vietnamese expatriate living in Algiers, poses for a photo beside the memorial stele dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh on Ho Chi Minh Boulevard. Photo: VNA   

For generations of Algerians, President Ho Chi Minh is not only a great leader of the Vietnamese people but also a symbol of the struggle against colonialism and the aspiration for independence and freedom shared by oppressed peoples around the world.

On June 5, 1911, the young Nguyen Tat Thanh, who later became President Ho Chi Minh, boarded the vessel Latouche-Tréville at Nha Rong Wharf in Vietnam and headed overseas to seek a way to save the country.

During his 30-year odyssey, he identified a path to national liberation, ultimately turning Vietnam into an independent, free, and unified country moving towards socialism.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Algeria on the occasion of 115 years since his departure for seeking that path, many locals said the sentiment for the Vietnamese leader has its roots in the years of hardship endured by the Algerian people under the French colonial rule. Vietnam’s historic Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954, achieved under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh, resonated strongly across colonised territories in Africa. For many Algerian patriots, the victory demonstrated that even a small nation could defeat colonialism through determination and an unwavering desire for independence.

Leaders of Algeria’s ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) have acknowledged that Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation served as a major source of inspiration for their country’s own independence movement. President Ho Chi Minh came to embody courage, unyieldingness and national pride in the eyes of many Algerians.

The Algerian people’s affection for the late President is reflected in a number of enduring landmarks. A major boulevard along the Mediterranean coast in the capital city of Algiers bears his name, while a street in the city of Oran was also named in his honour, demonstrating the high regard in which he is held.

Particularly noteworthy is the southern province of Biskra, where President Ho Chi Minh stopped during his trip to France in 1946. Local residents continue to cherish memories of his visit. During his stay, he lodged at the Trans Atlantic Hotel, now known as AN Hotel. A portrait of President Ho Chi Minh is prominently displayed in the hotel’s main hall as a tribute to his legacy.

According to local records, President Ho Chi Minh met and exchanged views with several Algerian intellectuals and patriots during his time in Biskra. At a time when anti-colonial movements were gaining momentum across North Africa, he shared his perspectives on the right of nations to self-determination and the path towards national independence.

Many Algerians still recall his strategic assessments of the future of national liberation movements in North Africa. Researchers believe these exchanges left a lasting impression on Algerian intellectuals and independence activists during the colonial era.

In 2025, a commemorative stele dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh was inaugurated on Ho Chi Minh Boulevard in Algiers. The monument stands as a symbol of friendship between Vietnam and Algeria while also reflecting the Algerian people’s respect for Vietnam’s national liberation hero.

Today, whenever mentioning Vietnam, many Algerians continue to speak of President Ho Chi Minh with admiration.

Eight decades after his visit to Algeria, his image remains present in the country’s cultural and historical life, serving as a vivid testament to the enduring appeal of the ideals of national liberation and the special friendship forged through the shared anti-colonial struggles of the two peoples./.