Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 - Algeria

Overview: Algeria remained a key partner in global counterterrorism efforts. Its military forces and multiple law enforcement, intelligence, and security services with clearly delineated responsibilities addressed counterterrorism; these include the various branches of the Joint Staff, the National Gendarmerie (GN), the Border Guards, and the Department of Intelligence and Security (DRS), all operating under the Ministry of National Defense (MND), as well as the national police, or General Directorate of National Security, under the Ministry of Interior. The Government of Algeria continued an aggressive campaign to eliminate all terrorist activity, and it sustained policing efforts to thwart terrorist activity in the capital and other major urban centers. Military forces and security services, primarily the GN, operating under the MND, conducted regular search operations for terrorists in the mountainous Kabylie area, east of Algiers, and in the expansive desert regions in the southeast.

Within Algeria, al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and al-Murabitoun, led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, remained active terrorist threats. AQIM's leader, Abdelmalik Droukdel, and Belmokhtar, both Algerian nationals, remained a threat and were at-large in the region at year's end. These groups aspired to attack Algerian security services, local government targets, and Western interests. AQIM continued attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), bombings, false roadblocks, kidnappings, and ambushes. The terrorist group Jund al-Khilafa fi Ard al-Jazayer (JAK, Soldiers of the Caliphate in Algeria), emerged in 2014 following a split from AQIM, and swore allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

There is a high threat of kidnapping, primarily in the mountainous areas east of Algiers and in the expansive desert regions near Algeria's southern border. The Algerian government maintained – and advocated that others should also maintain – a strict "no concessions" policy with regard to terrorist groups holding its citizens hostage.

Rising regional political and security instability contributed to the terrorist threat to Algeria. Violent extremist groups and criminal networks in the Sahel attempted to operate around Algeria's nearly 4,000 miles of borders. The threat of retaliatory attacks in response to international military intervention in Mali since 2013, weapons smuggled out of Libya or Tunisia, and human and narcotics trafficking were key external threats and made regional coordination on border security a necessity. The Algerian government frequently cited links between terrorist activity, organized crime, and narco-traffickers in the Maghreb and Sahel.

Algerian government officials and Muslim religious and political leaders publicly condemned ISIL and criticized acts of violence committed in the name of Islam. In September, the Algerian government underscored the potential risk from ISIL infiltration at a meeting of the High Council on Security (chaired by President Bouteflika with high-level civil, military, and security officials). To build trust and resilience among communities, the government has in place a development plan and a comprehensive national reconciliation policy. It provided social services and family outreach mechanisms to integrate at-risk youth and prevent marginalization, thus reducing the risk of travel to conflict zones for the purposes of joining terrorist activities.

2014 Terrorist Incidents: On April 19, terrorists attacked an Algerian military convoy in Tizi Ouzou province, killing 11 soldiers, and wounding five. AQIM claimed responsibility for the ambush. The Algerian government observed that AQIM's Ramadan offensive in 2014 was significantly reduced relative to the past decade. On September 21-24, JAK-A abducted and beheaded a French citizen, Hervé Gourdel, in the Kabylie region, east of Algiers.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: The Algerian government continued its decade-long push to increase the strength of its military and security forces and to professionalize and modernize them. Following restructuring in September 2013, a June 2014 presidential decree restored some judicial police authority to the DRS, Algeria's intelligence service. It created a new Judicial Investigation Service under the jurisdiction of both the DRS and the general prosecutor of the court of appeal's criminal division. A public decree related to DRS affairs could be considered an attempt to bring more transparency to the institution's functioning.

The Algerian government underscored that border security remained a top priority to guard against the infiltration of smugglers and terrorists from neighboring countries. In September, President Bouteflika convened a meeting of the High Council on Security to increase border security, expand search operations to detect and disrupt terrorist activity, increase troops in southern Algeria, and strengthen coordination with neighboring countries on border security. Measures included increased border security, among them closed military border areas, new observer posts in the east, reinforced protection of energy installations, additional permanent facilities for border control management, new aerial-based surveillance technologies, upgrades to communication systems, and additional troops deployed on the borders with Tunisia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, and Morocco. Algerian law enforcement and armed forces increased security cooperation with Tunisian counterparts to reduce the flow of arms. Border security measures included new joint checkpoints and patrols along the frontiers, information sharing, and training and equipment programs.

The Government of Algeria closely monitored passenger manifests for inbound and outbound flights and scrutinized travel documents of visitors, but did not fingerprint them. Algeria employed biometric screening systems to identify suspect travelers, undertook training, and was equipped to recognize fraudulent documents. The Government of Algeria used Interpol channels, alerts, and fusion notices to stay informed on suspicious travelers at land, air, and maritime borders.

Algerian security forces made a number of arrests in 2014. Official and private sector press announced trials for at least 50 suspected terrorists charged with support for or membership in a terrorist organization, kidnapping for ransom, attacks on security forces, and fake checkpoints. Human rights organizations believed there was overuse of pretrial detention by judges and magistrates. Media sources reported on the police's excessive use of force resulting in alleged injuries and arrests in both legal and illegal protests. Law enforcement actions included:

• On May 5, Algerian army forces launched a counterterrorist operation near Tin-Zaouatine (Tamanrasset province), on the southern border with Mali. The MND reported a dozen terrorists were killed. According to a Council of Ministers communique, the nationalities of those killed were Malian, Tunisian, and Libyan.

• On August 30, the Algerian government announced that it secured the release without ransom payment of two Algerian diplomats who were kidnapped in 2012 in Mali by MUJAO.

• On November 26, the Minister of Justice confirmed that security forces had killed in October a JAK member involved in the Gourdel kidnapping. The Justice Minister announced December 23 that security forces killed the leader of JAK, Abdelmalek Gouri, along with two other perpetrators of the Gourdel kidnapping and murder.

To enhance its capacity to deal effectively with security challenges within its borders and defend against threats to regional stability, Algerian law enforcement agencies participated in Department of State Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program trainings to enhance investigative and screening capacities, border security, prevent terrorist transit or operations, and build response capacity to critical incidents. The Algerian government sent an interagency mix of officers to U.S. government-sponsored programs. In August, the State Department delivered a Regional Border Control Management course for security officials from Algeria, Niger, and Tunisia. The U.S. DOJ International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) focused on capacity-building consultations with Algeria and mentoring in forensics, border security, criminal investigation, and evidence collection at crime scenes.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Algeria is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force, a Financial Action Task Force-style regional body. Its financial intelligence unit is also a member of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, an informal network of financial intelligence units.

Algeria continued its work on drafting revisions to various portions of its anti-money laundering/counterterrorist finance (AML/CFT) statutory scheme, including amending the Penal Code effective February 16, 2014 to bring the definition of a terrorist act into accordance with international standards, and has made progress. It will take time, however, to determine whether the laws enacted are being actively and evenly implemented. Algerian authorities are working on further revisions to the penal code dealing with AML/CFT with respect to terrorist finance and freezing of terrorist assets. The decree 13-318 of September 16, 2013 addresses how to identify, locate, and freeze the funds or property of terrorists, but needs revisions to make it compliant with international standards.

The Algerian law enforcement services collaborated with the United States on several workshops that addressed terrorist financing including workshops to dismantle complex criminal organizations and terrorist financial networks.

For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, see the 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: Algeria increased diplomatic efforts to fight terrorism in the region in 2014, while maintaining its non-interventionist military policy. It facilitated an inclusive national dialogue for Malian groups and officials, regional partners, and hosted talks among the stakeholders to help reach political resolutions, in coordination with the UN. Algeria also strongly supports UN efforts for a political solution in Libya.

Algeria is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and co-chair of GCTF's Sahel Region Capacity Building Working Group (SWG). In June, Algeria joined regional partners and international organizations to found the International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law (IIJ). Algeria continued to play a leadership role in the GCTF's efforts to raise awareness among governments to prevent the payment of ransoms to terrorist organizations. As co-chair of the GCTF's SWG, Algeria continued to champion the implementation and development of the Algiers Memorandum on Good Practices on Preventing and Denying the Benefits of Kidnapping for Ransom by Terrorists. In October, Algeria, Canada, and the United States co-sponsored the first in a series of GCTF Kidnapping for Ransom technical workshops at the IIJ.

While Morocco and Algeria both participated in the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, the IIJ, and the GCTF, the level of their bilateral counterterrorism cooperation did not improve in 2014. Algeria and Morocco's political disagreement over the Western Sahara remained an impediment to bilateral and regional counterterrorism cooperation.

When the UNSC adopted Resolution 2178 condemning foreign terrorist fighters, Algeria expressed publicly its support for the measure and commitment to the UN's Global Counterterrorism Strategy. Algeria recalled its prior experience with returning foreign fighters from Afghanistan in the 1990s and the need to address the phenomenon comprehensively. In November, Algeria sent an interagency delegation to Brussels for the regional conference on foreign terrorist fighters that was jointly organized by the Swiss Confederation and the EU. In December, Algerian officials participated in the GCTF Foreign Terrorist Fighters Working Group meeting in Marrakech. Algeria also attended a December meeting of the IIJ and the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate on challenges regarding evidence collection and the ability to effectively prosecute cases involving foreign terrorist fighters.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MRA) expanded international outreach efforts, including a cooperation agreement with the French Ministry of Interior. France will broadcast monthly the Friday prayer from the Grand Mosque of Paris on Algerian television and will welcome in France visiting Algerian imams who profess their views of a balanced and tolerant Islam and respect for the citizen and secularism.

Algeria is home to Regional Command for Joint Counter Terrorism Operations (CEMOC's) Liaison and Fusion Center for information sharing and hosts the AU's African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism. Algeria also participated in the G-5 Sahel (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso) and the Nouakchott Process on the Enhancement of Security Cooperation and the Operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). Algeria worked with the EU on its European Neighborhood Police initiative and the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel.

Algeria actively participated in the 5+5 Defense Initiative, which brings together five European and five North African countries to address security issues in the Western Mediterranean. In October, it hosted a meeting on the 20th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s Mediterranean Dialogue to discuss security challenges in the region. Algeria is a delegate for the African region on the Interpol Executive Board and in February, agreed to host the headquarters of AFRIPOL, a pan-African organization that fosters police training and cooperation in response to security threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and cybercrime.

Countering Radicalization to Violence and Violent Extremism: The Government of Algeria underscored the value of state oversight for religious education, including the training of imams, the content of prayers, and credentialing imams in a way that promotes tolerance and sensitizes the religious leaders to the risks of using religion for political objectives. The Algerian government appointed, trained, and paid the salaries of imams. The penal code outlined punishments, including fines and prison sentences, for anyone other than a government-designated imam who preaches in a mosque. The Algerian government monitored mosques for possible security-related offenses and prohibited the use of mosques as public meeting places outside of regular prayer hours. The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MRA) warned Algerians against foreign extremist trends (e.g. ISIL, Wahhabism) and heeding to fatwas (judicial rulings) that originate outside Algeria. The Religious Affairs Minister submitted a proposal to the Presidency for the creation of an Academy of fatwa in Algeria to include university teachers and Ulema in different fields. Official press noted this religious institution will have the authority to take legal action against unfounded fatwa promulgation and the Academy's religious scholars will inform society on the criteria for issuing fatwa.

Under the 2006 Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, Algeria offers amnesty to former terrorists who laid down their weapons, and disavowed violence, exceptions being perpetrators of particularly egregious acts, such as rape, murder, and bombings. The Charter works through offices located nation-wide that extend judicial assistance and social and job reintegration measures to repentant terrorists, victims of terrorism, and families of terrorists. The President of the Judicial Unit confirmed a total of 9,000 terrorists – repentant prisoners and members of terrorist support networks – were pardoned under the Charter since its inception.