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Algeria
THE ARMED FORCES
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Figure 10. Organization of National Defense, 1993
Figure 11. Military Regions, 1993
The armed forces consist of four branches: the army, the navy,
the air force, and air defense. They are augmented by the National
Gendarmerie, which comes under the Ministry of Interior. According
to The Military Balance, 1993-1994, the total strength
of the active armed forces in late 1993 was 121,700, including
the army, 105,000; the navy, 6,700; and the air force, 10,000.
Air defense manning levels are not known but one source estimates
them as 4,000, included within the air force complement. The number
of reserves is listed at 150,000, but their state of readiness
is not known.
Under the constitution, the president is supreme commander of
all the armed forces and is responsible for national defense.
When Boumediene deposed Ben Bella in 1965, he eliminated the national
defense portfolio to reinforce his own control over the ANP. In
July 1990, Benjedid revived the position, appointing Nezzar to
head the ministry. Nezzar had been chief of staff since he replaced
Major General Abdallah Belhouchet in 1988. Belhouchet, who until
that time had been considered the most important military figure
after Benjedid, was dismissed as part of the wholesale removal
of senior officers after the 1988 riots. After Benjedid's resignation
as president in early 1992 and Nezzar's appointment as sole military
representative on the High Council of State, the interim governing
body, Nezzar was seen as the strong man of the regime.
Under the constitution, the head of state can turn for advice
on national security matters to the High Security Council, which
along with the Council of Ministers, is required to give its consent
to the declaration of a state of emergency in the event the country
faces imminent danger to its institutions, its independence, or
its territorial integrity. The High Security Council must also
be heard prior to a declaration of war by the president. The security
council's members include the prime minister, the minister of
national defense, the chief of staff of the armed forces, the
minister of interior (an army officer), and the minister of justice.
Upon Benjedid's resignation, the High Security Council assembled
to cancel the second round of the general election and created
the High Council of State to exercise interim presidential powers.
During the 1980s, Benjedid took a number of measures to reorganize
the military high command so as to enhance the ANP's efficiency
and military effectiveness. In 1984, after promoting eight colonels
to become the first generals in independent Algeria, Benjedid
announced the establishment of an ANP general staff. Previously,
the armed forces had relied on the secretary general of the Ministry
of National Defense to coordinate staff activities. The previous
secretary general of the ministry, Major General Mustafa Benloucif,
was named the first chief of staff. Benloucif had risen quickly
in the ANP and was also an alternate member of the FLN Political
Bureau. However, he was dismissed in 1986 without explanation;
in 1992 the regime announced that Benloucif would be tried for
corruption and the embezzlement of US$11 million, which had been
transferred to European accounts.
The general staff had responsibility for operational planning
for the integrated armed forces, budgeting, information and communications,
logistics and administrative support, mobilization, and recruiting.
It was not, however, part of the regular chain of command. In
practice, the armed forces chief of staff dealt directly with
the chiefs of the service branches and with the commanders of
the six military regions (see
fig. 10). Along with Nezzar, the senior hierarchy of the armed
forces included the chief of staff, Abdelmalek Guénaizia; the
commander of the National Gendarmerie, Abbas Ghezaiel; the chief
of military security, Mohamed Médiène; and the inspector general
of the land forces, Tayeb Derradji. Minister of Interior Larbi
Belkheir, a major general who had been considered part of the
collective military leadership, was replaced by a civilian minister
after Boudiaf's assassination in mid-1992 and was no longer on
active service.
Data as of December 1993
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