Could Algeria’s army pull a coup d’etat?
As the crackdown of senior regime figures perceived as having fallen too close to the orbit of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika continues, one of its more prominent figures, retired Gen. and former Defense Minister Khaled Nezzar, has called upon the army to revolt.
During a 13-minute YouTube address from an unknown location (presumed to be Spain), retired Gen. and former Defense Minister Khaled Nezzar called upon his "dear friends" within the army to rise up and cut through the "Gordian knot" that has entangled modern Algeria. The video has since been removed.
Nezzar’s Twitter account tells a similar story, lambasting current leader of Algeria’s armed forces Ahmed Gaid Salah and his ties to the country’s “politico-financial mafia” that has enmeshed the country.
Sympathy for Nezzar and his call to arms is likely to be thin on the ground. Subject to an Algerian international arrest warrant for an alleged plot to “attack public order" — a charge that carries the death penalty under Article 77 of the country’s criminal code — Nezzar is also due to appear in a Swiss court in September on charges of war crimes committed during Algeria’s brutal civil war — acts Nezzar now claims Gaid Salah is complicit with.
In reality, despite what will now be the 26 weeks of protest that have seen the ousting of prime ministers and presidents, Gaid Salah’s position remains relatively secure. Moreover, his decision to manage rather than confront the current wave of protests — though born of pragmatism — looks likely to ensure his survival beyond any call from either the street or exile for his immediate ousting.
