By Mohamed K. – In a strongly-worded editorial published this Saturday, Algeria’s official news agency, APS, issued a grave warning against political activities it considers dangerous enough to potentially return the nation to the traumatic period known as the ‘Black Decade.’ This stark alert emerges as two unnamed political parties have reportedly begun early campaigning for upcoming legislative and local elections, engaging in tactics that APS views as destabilizing.
The ‘Black Decade’ reference carries profound weight in Algeria’s collective memory. This term refers to the brutal civil conflict that ravaged the country throughout the 1990s, following the military’s cancellation of elections that an Islamist party was poised to win. The ensuing violence between government forces and Islamist insurgents resulted in an estimated 200,000 deaths, widespread human rights abuses, and deep societal trauma that continues to influence Algerian politics today.
According to APS’s analysis, certain political parties have ‘definitively sunk into political bankruptcy,’ demonstrating an inability to present coherent policy programs to Algerian citizens. Instead, the agency contends these groups increasingly rely on demagoguery as their primary mobilization strategy. One unnamed party faces specific criticism for ‘outbidding on Algeria’s international positions’—a approach APS characterizes as a ‘flagrant violation of the Constitution,’ which explicitly grants the President of the Republic exclusive authority over foreign policy direction.
The editorial emphasizes that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune presented the fundamental principles of Algerian diplomacy to voters during his election campaign, thereby claiming both popular and constitutional legitimacy for his foreign policy leadership. The agency argues that challenging these presidential prerogatives constitutes not merely criticism of an individual leader, but represents ‘targeting the country that the President embodies’—a framing that elevates the stakes considerably.
Simultaneously, APS identifies another political party that has questioned legal provisions combatting hate speech, despite these measures having been approved by Parliament—including with support from elected representatives belonging to that same party. The agency views this contradictory stance as a ‘dangerous indicator’ capable of reactivating internal tensions and rivalries, explicitly invoking the specter of fitna (discord or civil strife) that Algerian society has ‘definitively rejected’ following the trauma of the 1990s.
The commentary further condemns attempts to manipulate judicial processes or circumvent Republic laws to reintroduce what it terms ‘bad practices,’ specifically citing clientelism and regionalism. APS asserts that such practices were declared obsolete following the presidential election of December 12, 2019, which brought President Tebboune to power and marked a political transition after the Hirak protest movement.
By framing its warning within the context of national stability preservation, the official news agency implicitly references Algeria’s recent history of the Hirak movement—the massive pro-democracy protests that began in 2019 and led to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s resignation after two decades in power. The upcoming elections occur against this backdrop of heightened political consciousness and public expectation for meaningful reform.
The APS editorial serves as both a political statement and a reflection of official concerns regarding the boundaries of acceptable political discourse in contemporary Algeria. It calls upon all political groups to strictly observe constitutional frameworks and ethical principles of public life, particularly as the nation approaches elections that are anticipated to be intensely contested amid ongoing debates about the country’s political future.
M. K.
Contextual Analysis: This APS editorial represents more than routine political commentary—it signals the Algerian establishment’s red lines during a sensitive electoral period. The invocation of the ‘Black Decade’ serves as powerful rhetorical tool, connecting current political behaviors to historical trauma that most Algerians desperately wish to avoid repeating. This framing places certain opposition tactics beyond ordinary political disagreement into the realm of existential threats to national stability.
The warning emerges within Algeria’s particular media landscape, where official outlets like APS traditionally reflect government perspectives, while independent media faces various constraints. The editorial’s publication timing—coinciding with early election campaigning—suggests an effort to shape the political narrative before formal campaigns commence, potentially limiting the scope of acceptable criticism during the electoral process.
International observers will likely monitor whether this rhetoric translates into practical restrictions on political opposition, particularly as Algeria continues its delicate balancing act between maintaining stability and addressing demands for greater political openness that emerged during the Hirak movement.