| Background: |
After a century of rule by France, Algeria became independent in 1962. The surprising
first round success of the fundamentalist FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) party
in December 1991 balloting caused the army to intervene, crack down on the FIS,
and postpone the subsequent elections. The FIS response has resulted in a continuous
low-grade civil conflict with the secular state apparatus, which nonetheless has
allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties.
FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded itself in January 2000
and many armed militants surrendered under an amnesty program designed to promote
national reconciliation. Nevertheless, residual fighting continues. Other concerns
include large-scale unemployment and the need to diversify the petroleum-based
economy. |
HISTORY
Since the 5th century B.C., the indigenous tribes of northern Africa (identified
by the Romans as "Berbers") have been pushed back from the coast by successive
waves of Phoenician, Roman, Vandal, Byzantine, Arab, Turkish, and, finally, French
invaders. The greatest cultural impact came from the Arab invasions of the 8th
and 11th centuries A.D., which brought Islam and the Arabic language. The effects
of the most recent (French) occupation--French language and European inspired
socialism--are still pervasive. North African boundaries have shifted during
various stages of the conquests. The borders of modern Algeria were created by
the French, whose colonization began 1830. To benefit French colonists, most of
whom were farmers and businessmen, northern Algeria was eventually organized into
overseas departments of France, with representatives in the French National Assembly.
France controlled the entire country, but the traditional Muslim population in
the rural areas remained separated from the modern economic infrastructure of
the European community. Indigenous Algerians began their revolt on November
1, 1954, to gain rights denied them under French rule. The revolution, launched
by a small group of nationalists who called themselves the National Liberation
Front (FLN), was a guerrilla war in which both sides used terrorist tactics. Eventually,
protracted negotiations led to a cease-fire signed by France and the FLN on March
18, 1962, at Evian, France. The Evian accords also provided for continuing economic,
financial, technical, and cultural relations, along with interim administrative
arrangements until a referendum on self-determination could be held. The referendum
was held in Algeria on July 1, 1962, and France declared Algeria independent on
July 3. On September 8, 1963, a constitution was adopted by referendum, and later
that month, Ahmed Ben Bella was formally elected president. On June 19, 1965,
President Ben Bella was replaced in a bloodless coup by a Council of the Revolution
headed by Minister of Defense Col. Houari Boumediene who was elected president
of the republic on December 10, 1976. He died 5 years later. Following nomination
by an FLN Party Congress, Col. Chadli Bendjedid was elected President in 1979
and re-elected in 1984 and 1988. A new constitution was adopted in 1989 that allowed
the formation of political associations other than the FLN. It also removed the
armed forces, which had run the government since the days of Boumediene, from
a designated role in the operation of the government. Among the scores of parties
that sprang up under the new constitution, the militant Islamic Salvation Front
(FIS) was the most successful, winning more than 50% of all votes cast in municipal
elections in June 1990 as well as in first stage of national legislative elections
held in December 1991. Faced with the real possibility of a sweeping FIS victory,
the government canceled the second stage of elections in January 1992. This action,
coupled with political uncertainty and economic turmoil, led to a violent reaction
on the part of the Islamists. A campaign of terror in the country, including assassinations,
bombings, and massacres, commenced. Charging the FIS with supporting or encouraging
such actions, Bendjedid declared a national state of emergency, resigned, and
appointed a five-member High Council of State (HCS) to run the government. The
HCS officially dissolved and outlawed the FIS in 1992 and began a series of arrests
and trials of FIS members that reportedly resulted in over 50,000 members being
jailed. Despite efforts to restore the political process, violence and terrorism
characterized the Algeria landscape during the 1990s. In 1994, Lamine Zeroual
was appointed Head of State for a 3-year term. During this period, the Armed Islamic
Group (GIA) launched terrorist campaigns against government figures and institutions
to protest the banning of the Islamist parties. A breakaway GIA group--the Salafist
Group for Preaching and Call (GSPC)--also undertook terrorist activity in the
country. Govenrment officials estimate that more than 100,000 Algerians died during
this period. Zeroual called for presidential elections in 1995, though some
parties objected to holding elections that excluded the FIS. Zeroual was elected
president with 75% of the vote. By 1997, in an attempt to bring political stability
to the nation, the Rassemblement National Democratique (RND) party was formed
by a more progressive group of FLN members. Zeroual announced that presidential
elections would be held in early 1999, nearly 2 years ahead of the scheduled time.
Algerians went to the polls in April 1999, following a campaign in which seven
candidates qualified for election. On the eve of the election, all candidates
except Abdelaziz Bouteflika pulled out amid charges of widespread electoral fraud.
Bouteflika, the candidate who appeared to enjoy the backing of the military, as
well as FLN and RND party regulars, won with an official vote count of 70% of
all votes cast. He was inaugurated on April 27, 1999 for a 5-year term. President
Bouteflika's agenda focused initially on restoring security and stability to the
country. Following his inauguration, he proposed an official amnesty for those
who fought against the government during the 1990s unless they had engaged in
"blood crimes," such as rape or murder. This "Civil Concord" policy was widely
approved in a nationwide referendum in September 2000. Government officials estimate
that 85% of those fighting the regime during the 1990s have accepted the amnesty
offer and have been reintegrated into Algerian society. Bouteflika also has launched
national commissions to study education and judicial reform, as well as restructuring
of the state bureaucracy. His government has set ambitious targets for economic
reform and attracting foreign investment. Three years into Bouteflika's mandate,
the security situation in Algeria has improved markedly. However, terrorism has
not been totally eliminated, and terrorist incidents still occur, particularly
in remote or isolated areas of the country. An estimated 100-120 Algerians are
killed monthly, down from a high of 1,200 or more in the mid-1990s. In 2001, Berber
activists in the Kabyle region of the country, reacting to the death of a youth
in gendarme custody, unleashed a resistance campaign against what they saw as
government repression. Strikes and demonstrations in the Kabyle region have become
commonplace as a result and some have spread to the capital. Chief among Berber
demands is recognition of Amagizh (Berber) as a national language, restitution
for death of Kabylies killed or wounded in demonstrations, and some type of autonomy
for the region. Representatives of major Kabylie factions are currently in discussions
with the government on this matter. In November 2001, devastating floods hit Algeria,
killing more than 800 people, mostly in Algiers. The floods caused an estimated
$350 million in damages. Algeria is planning for a new round of legislative elections
in Spring 2002. |
