He and Abane were responsible for the creation of many projects such as the newspaper El Moudjahid, the creation of the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) and the writing of Kassaman, which would become the national anthem of Algeria. He miraculously escaped capture by the paratroopers of General Jacques Massu by use of the sewer system of Algiers, fleeing the city after the capture of Ben M'hidi by paratroopers under Colonel Marcel Bigeard, Ben M'hidi was later killed while imprisoned by soldiers of Paul Aussaresses.