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Algeria: The Dirty War
Andrew Hosken
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It's been called "La Sale Guerre"...the Dirty War. Algeria is in the throes of a civil war of astonishing ferocity that has lasted more than a decade. Around 150,000 people have been massacred since 1993.
On Tuesday February 25, 12 people were murdered at a bogus road block near the village of Hameur El Ain in the Tipaza region, 70 km outside of Algiers. The authorities blame "Islamic extremists". The the truth is more chilling. The terrorists and the army have long blamed the other for the killings. The Government has even been accused of operating death squads, although it strenuously denies these allegations
The roots of the conflict lie in early 1992 with the decision of the army to suspend elections that an extreme islamic party, the F.I.S , was poised to win. To this day, the elections have never been held and the leaders of the F.I.S were thrown in jail, where they remain.
For almost a decade, foreign journalists were discouraged from covering the conflict. Islamic terrorists ordered all foreigners to leave the country in the mid-1990's, and followed up their threat by murdering those who failed to take the threat seriously.
It's becoming clear that the Salle Guerre is not just a matter for the Algerians, it may now have spilled over into Europe. It's not the first time this has happened. In 1995, Algerian terrorists belonging to the G.I.A , angered by French support for the Algerian government, (the Armed Islamic Group) launched bomb attacks against the Paris Metro.
With the arrests of suspected Algerian terrorists in Britain and across Europe, there is increasing interest in the conflict. The British Government has now confirmed that it is receiving assistance from the Algerian intelligence services.
Brian Wilson, the Energy Minister, recently visited Algiers as part of a British business delegation. He told Today that for years, the government had failed to take much notice of warnings by the Algerians about some of those granted asylum in Britain.
Mr Wilson met his counter-part in Algeria, Dr Chakib Khelil, who said that European governments had ignored the warnings for years. He said that it often took certain governments direct experience of terrorism before such warnings were taken seriously.
The prospect of the UK working closely with Algeria has caused some alarm in Britain. Le Pouvoir (‘the power’ as it's known in Algeria), which controls Algeria has a poor record on human rights. The Government--controlled mainly behind the scenes by unelected generals--has been accused of extra-judicial murder, torture and abduction. More than 4,000 people have "disappeared." The relatives of the disappeared protest each week outside the Human Rights Ministry in Algiers. But there are no answers. The Government's told them to move on – “the past is dead." However, the truth is the war continues. And the "disappeared" are almost certainly dead.
Algeria is one of the richest countries on the African continent. It is the second biggest exporter of natural gas to the European Union. Huge natural resources remain to be exploited. Despite that, millions of Algerians live in poverty (families of 10 or more live in a one bedroom flat). Some areas suffer from 30% unemployment.
The Algerian government insists that it's desperate to deflect people from terrorism and stop the exodus abroad. It knows that the only way to do that is to provide homes and jobs.
Algeria has a population of 32 million. An astonishing 60% are under 20 years of age. Many find it impossible to start families of their own while squashed into tiny homes with the rest of their family. While the vast majority of Algerians are sick of the terrorists and the alleged corruption of the "Pouvoir", a tiny minority have joined their forces. Some through religious zealotry, others through sheer anger.
In 1999 the main terrorist organisation, The GIA largely disbanded following an amnesty brokered by the army. But another grouping of Islamic fundamentalists , the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat known as the G.S.P.C. continues to fight. It's the G.S.P.C. which is causing Western governments such alarm.
In Algeria, the G.S.P.C. claims that it's confined its activities to murdering soldiers and policemen. Indeed, it recently ambushed and killed 40 soldiers. A policeman was shot in the centre of Algiers on February 10th. But the Algerian government and some intelligence agencies claims that it's now teamed up with al Qaeda to launch attacks abroad.
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Algerian forces search a bus after an Islamic insurgency in 1998. |
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Algerian security forces burn the clothes of terrorists found in a hideout |
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Some areas suffer from 30% unemployment |
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