Crisis Chronology

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ALGERIA

02/27/2023

Algeria and Russia discuss strengthening their military cooperation.

08/21/2022

Wildfires devastate northern Algeria.

06/08/2022

Algeria “suspends” friendship treaty with Spain over Spain’s policy change regarding the western Sahara region.

09/22/2021

Algeria closes airspace to Morocco. Algeria is unhappy with the Moroccan position on the Western Sahara (Algeria supports the Polisario Front), its recognition of Israel (in return for US recognition of its right to Western Sahara, and fomenting conflict in Algeria by supporting the MAK (Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia), a pro-independence organization, as well as the Islamo-conservative organization Rachad, two movements classified as "terrorist organizations" by Algeria. Morocco denies these charges.

09/14/2021

Prime Minister Aïmene Benabderrahmane presents government plans for development.

08/12/2021

Wildfires devastating the north. Arson is suspected, since more than fifty fires broke out on 8/11.

06/15/2021

Ruling coalition retains control of parliament

National Liberation Front (FLN) wins 105 seats of 407 in the legislature. Independent candidates win 78, and the main Muslim party, the Movement of Society for Peace wins 64. The FLN lost more than fifty seats.

06/13/2021

Voting for parliament. Many stay away from the polls.

05/24/2021

Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad and his cabinet resign.

02/25/2021

Dbeibah names transitional government.

02/22/2021

Tebboune makes some changes to the cabinet. Prime minister Abdelaziz Djerad remains. Minister of Justice Belkacem Zeghmati, seen as leading the crackdown on Hirak, remains in place as well.

02/18/2021

Tebboune announces pardons for dozens of protestors associated with the Hirak movement, reshuffle the cabinet "within 48 hours at most", and will dissolve the lower chamber of parliament to make way for new elections.

11/01/2020

Very low turnout in referendum on the new constitution. The Hirak has dismissed the proposed changes. It would set term limits and establish an anti-corruption commission but the opposition says too much power continues to reside with the presidency.

10/09/2020

Government begins campaign for constitutional reform, to be voted on 11/1. Most are skeptical of any real change

10/05/2020

Government has become increasingly repressive. Opposition has failed to unite behind a leader.

05/29/2020

Algeria extends stay-at-home order until 6/13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Algeria has about 9000 cases and 630 deaths.

04/27/2020

Algeria extends containment measures due to COVID-19 pandemic until 5/14. Algeria has about 3500 cases and 430 deaths.

04/25/2020

Djerad announces that some businesses can reopen.

04/24/2020

With the beginning of Ramadan, government relaxes some curfew requirements.

02/25/2020

Algeria confirms its first case of COVID-19.

02/21/2020

Fifty-third consecutive week so protests calling for full regime change.

01/15/2020

Tebboune begins meetings with opposition politicians, promising a prisoner release and more open communication.

12/28/2019

Tabboune appoints Abdelaziz Djerad, a political science professor and former member of previous governments, to be prime minister. Djerad has criticized the political elite and the holding the 12/12 election, saying that fundamental reforms needed to be made first.

12/12/2019

Former PM elected president

Voting for president. Security is high. There are large protests and boycotting of the vote across the country. Early results give former prime minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune a victory, with more than half the vote. Turnout is reported to be 40%.

11/22/2019

Protests across the country calling for the cancellation of the 12/12 elections and the strongman role of Lt. General Ahmed Gaid Salah.

11/18/2019

Campaign for presidency begins. Two former prime ministers, Ali Benflis and Abdelmadjid Tebboune are the main candidates. The other candidates are: moderate Islamist Abdelkader Bengrina; former culture minister and current interim secretary of the RND party that was in the governing coalition, Azzedine Mihoubi of the RND party of the governing coalition, and Belaid Abdelaziz, head of the small El Moustakbel (Future) party that’s close to the FLN, both of which remain part of the ruling coalition. There are large demonstrations to protest the election organized by the military transitional council.

09/21/2019

Thirty-first consecutive Friday of protests against ruling elite, despite a substantial security force deployment. The protestors also reject if any of the elite is a candidate, especially Ahmed Gaïd Salah, Chief of Staff of the army.

09/17/2019

Goverment sets elections for 12/12.

09/02/2019

Army cited Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Saleh calls for elections this year.

07/12/2019

Slimane Chenine of the Islamist Movement of National Construction party is elected to replace Moad Bouchareb from the National Liberation Front (FLN) as chairman of parliament.

07/03/2019

Bouchareb resigns as chairman of parliament. He had become another target of the protests.

06/02/2019

Constitutional Council says it cannot hold presidential elections on 7/4 because there are no valid candidates. Opposition continues to call for removal of Bensalah and PM Bedoui, although this action will likely extend their rule.

05/20/2019

Army chief supports new election to resolve the political crisis. An election has been scheduled for 7/4, but there are rumors that it may be delayed.

05/06/2019

Younger brother of Bouteflika and two intelligence agency leaders are placed under arrest for plotting against the state.

04/22/2019

Bensalah calls for dialogue with the political leaders. Some reject the proposal, but Bensalah seems to be bringing some stability to the situation, though protestors are still demanding a complete turnover of the government.

04/14/2019

Judiciary says it will boycott elections adding to pressure on government to step down entirely.

04/09/2019

Parliament confirms Senate President Abdelkader Bensallah as interim president for the next ninety days.

04/07/2019

Government names a council to appoint negotiators with the Taliban and set a mandate for the talks. An informal meeting is scheduled for mid-April, and the Taliban announces that anyone who attends the meeting from their side would be going as a private individual.

04/02/2019

Bouteflika resigns

Bouteflika officially resigns. Protestors reject interim government, which is led by Abdelkader Bensalah, chairman of the upper house of parliament, for 90 days until elections are held.

04/01/2019

Government says Bouteflika will resign before 4/28.

03/31/2019

Bouteflika names a caretaker government to be led by Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui.

03/28/2019

Protests continue to call for an entirely new government.

03/27/2019

A large union, the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA), and the National Rally for Democracy join the army in calling for Bouteflika to step down. Protests continue against the entire oligarchy.

03/26/2019

Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah, part of “the power,” says that Bouteflika should step down. The constitutional council, which would begin the process of removing Bouteflika, calls a meeting.

03/25/2019

Protests growing, calling for the entire group running the country, called “the power,” to give up control of the government.

03/25/2019

National Liberation Parrty (FLN) says it will reconsider it support for the national conference announced by Bouteflika.

03/18/2019

Unions refuse to meet with Bedoui.

03/15/2019

Protests continue, calling for Bouteflika to resign.

03/13/2019

Bedoui says he will name a technocratic government that will move toward transition and a new election, although he does not offer a timetable for that.

03/11/2019

Bouteflika rescinds presidential run

Bouteflika announces he will not run for president. The election is delayed indefinitely. Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui is named prime minister after Ahmed Ouyahia resigns. However Bouteflika will remain president until a new president is elected, and the government announces that a convention to rewrite the constitution will be held, leaving no end date to Bouteflika’s term.

03/11/2019

Noureddine Bedoui is appointed prime minister, replacing Ahmed Ouyahia, who resigned.

03/03/2019

Bouteflika confirms that he will run despite protests, but that he will not serve his full term and would not run again. He will instead hold an “inclusive national conference" followed by a vote to determine the next president. Protests continue.

03/02/2019

Widespread protests in Algiers calling for Bouteflika not to run again continue, though demonstrations in the city are banned.

03/02/2019

Bouteflika replaces long-time campaign manager. The government seems to be run by a group of oligarchs, the military and political figures, primarily Bouteflika’s brother Said, industrialist Ali Haddad, and army chief Gaid Salah.

02/23/2019

Substantial protests against Bouteflika’s effort to win a fifth term. The protests eventually become known as the Hirak Movement or the Revolution of Smiles

02/10/2019

Bouteflika announces candidacy for president through government media. A large number of candidates have announced, including former PM Ali Benflis, retired Gen. Ali Chedri, and leader of moderate Islamist party Abderrazak Makri.

10/29/2018

Bouteflika says he will run for a fifth term.

06/23/2018

OPEC agrees to increase production, a pledge that will be fulfilled by countries with spare capacity, notably Algeria, Kuwait, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.