Insurrection Of The Aarch

[bcbm]

Not sure if history is really the place for this, but I can't seem to find much info about whether this movement is still going on. I'm wondering if comrades here are familiar with the events in Algeria, primarily in 2001 (but also in the following years)? For those unaware, I can offer a brief summary and some links...

In 2001, police killed a boy and some intense rioting followed. It quickly spread throughout the region and people began to organize autonomously into councils called "the aarch." These councils were organized horizontally, with delegates elected but subject to a "code of honor" that prohibited them from partisan activities, making link to the government or others in power and various other things designed to keep the movement out of politics (more or less). Rioting continued and government offices of all sorts were attacked, with the government and police eventually being almost completely unable to operate in the region. The socialist party and some others (unionists, etc) attempted to get involved and "hijack" the aarchs, but they were quickly kicked out of the movement. A similar pattern happened for any who tried to contact and negotiate with the state. Elections that year were boycotted, with only a 2% turnout in the regions in insurrection and less than 50% nation-wide. The struggle seemed to be waning as time dragged on, but I can't find a lot of information on the subject. Here are a couple websites discussing it:


http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?...4/03/31/8808125 (http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=04/03/31/8808125)
http://www.geocities.com/kk_abacus/ht/algeria.html
http://p201.ezboard.com/fanarchykkafrm1.sh...picID=342.topic (http://p201.ezboard.com/fanarchykkafrm1.showMessage?topicID=342.topic)

(More news-type sites)
http://www.algeria-watch.org/farticle/revo...nsurrection.htm (http://www.algeria-watch.org/farticle/revolte/fisk_insurrection.htm)
http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/arti...?id_article=623 (http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/article.php3?id_article=623)
http://www.ainfos.ca/02/dec/ainfos00281.html

[Marion]

Not sure how good it is, but there was an article on them in Do or Die 10. It was written in 2003 though so not the most up to date. Nothing else springs to mind, but hope that helps...

[bcbm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 23 2006, 02:11 PM
Not sure how good it is, but there was an article on them in Do or Die 10. It was written in 2003 though so not the most up to date. Nothing else springs to mind, but hope that helps...
I believe that article is a reprint of the "Insurrection in Algeria" I linked to on KKA.

[bcbm]

Some more searching turned up this:


The Kabyle crisis quieted down as first the prime minister and then Pres. Abdelaziz Bouteflika himself indicated that the government would engage in dialogue with the aarchs (informal tribal and village councils) without preconditions. After considerable hesitation, the aarch movement agreed to enter into dialogue provided that the demands of the El Kseur Platform, which included regional autonomy, were first stipulated. At the same time, the aarch movement was weakened by the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), one of the two Berberist political parties, alongside the FFS, that tried to force it to engage in a wider national debate about political decentralization, and by the emergence of a new political party clearly designed to undermine the movement.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9396241

I like their method of dealing with the press, however:


The second part of the RSF report deals with the Berber area of Kabylia, that has been torn by unrest and violence for 18 months.
There journalists have been caught in the crossfire between militant Aarch and the security forces.

. . .

RSF reports that journalists have also been molested by Aarch activists. Ali Ben Châabane of French-language daily, L'Expression, describes how he ran a series of pieces on decline of the protest movement and how it was turning to extortion. "I got a phone call one evening and voice said 'You'll be dead by six this evening'. I knew who it was, it was one of the brothers of Belaïd Abrika, a high-profile Aarch leader."
http://www.algeria-watch.org/en/articles/2...erian_media.htm (http://www.algeria-watch.org/en/articles/2002/algerian_media.htm)


News article:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2003/04/21/16026361.php