impad TNTERNATToNAL :: APRIL 2oo3 ffiwmgn*axa*f ffierru$s$"*edda ru *R*-Pffiffi 3 Ifepe,' campromised with Aranwy 5,&F.n the Algerian military regime the daily life of the V V banned parties based on ethniciry Algerian masses. At the age or religion in 1996 most of the political of 23, he was arrested and parries changed their constitution to imprisoned for eight conform to the new strictures. Not months for opposing the Benyoucef Benkhedda, the first head of conscription of Algerians Provisional Government of the Algerian into the French army Republicl He also refused to accept the during the Second World the Algerian Republic (GPRA, of an illegitimate regime that had War. In his view, the war did not diktat Gouaernemet Prouisoire d,e la Ripublique the Algerians at all since their been at war with its people since the concern Algbrienne), replacing Ferhat Abbas of 1992, and own political and human rights were coup d'etat January killing (1899-85) in 1961 as the president. He with impuniry. denied to them. He denounced the use ierrorising them o\ersaw the complex negolialions al ofyoung Algerians as cannon fodder by Instead, he dissolved the Oumma Evian, France, between the FLN and party 1997, rather than 'sell his soul' the unscrupulous colonial r-ulers. in the French government that paved the as he himself put it. The national movement of Algeria was way for the independence ofAlgeria. 1989 not a monolithic one but traversed by He had set up the Oumma in Benkhedda proclaimed the after the introduction of multiparty many currents of opinion. In 1953 it independence ofAlgeria on 3July 1962 democracy in Algeria; the party had its experienced a crisis that rvould radically and thus became the first head of roots firmly in the Islamic values and transform the political landscape. The government of independent Algeria at the noble traditions of the Algerian Central Committee of the Movement a time when the revolution was caught people. Such was his integrity that his for the Triumph of Democratic up in a new crisis. The dark clouds of departure has left a gaping hole in the Freedoms (MTLD, Mouaement pour Ie disunity were already looming over the life of the Algerian nation; he was firm Triomphe des Libertis Ddmocratiques), a National Counsel of the Algerian and uncompromising in his beliefs and successor party to the PPA, broke with Revolution (CNRA,, Conseil National de Ia conr-icLions. Messali Hadj ( 1898-1974) , the R,4aolution Algirienne) which heid a Benvor-rcef Benkhedda died on 4 charismatic leader of the national congress at Tripoli in 1962 to Februarl' 2003. He was born on 23 movement over his aulocra{ic June February 1920 at Berroughia, a small tendencies. Relations between them chart the future of the emerging Algerian nation. town in the Wilaya of Medea, south of had been strained for sometime. the Algiers. As the son of a magistrate, he Other middle ranking activists who Irreconcilable divisions rent was one of the few lucky Arabs in were neutral in this conflict favoured congress. There was a faction of the Algeria to benefit from the French armed struggie against the French. provisional government with its (wilaya colonial system of education. He Their disillusionment with political supporters 2 and 3 and the attended the colonial college of Blida activity led to the founding of the Federation of France, assimilated to a (now Ibn Roshd). Muslim students at National Liberation Front (FLN, Fronl uilay), on the one side. The military chief of staff was on the other, with the the school were a tiny minority, and the d,e Libdration Nationak) and the war of Rabah general climate was hostile to Algerians liberation in November 1954. support of Ben Bella, Bitat and Islam. At Blida Benkhedda met Two months after the start of the (1925-2000) and Mohamed Khider such friends as Lamine Debaghine revolrrtion Benkhedda who was then (assassinated in 1967 by the regime of (1917-2003) and Sa'd Dahleb (1917- secretary general of the MTLD was Boumediene) and the wilayl,5 and 6 2000) who would later become arrested. When he was released in April - Wilaya 4 remained neutral. In the prominent figures of the national 1955, he joined the FLN and became terminology of the revolution, a uilala movement. From the University of active in the liberation struggle. He was a military region. Algiers Benkhedda graduated as a worked closely with Abbane Ramdane These divisions in the leadership soon pharmacist. (1920-57) and Ben M'hidi (7923-57), sealed the fate of the provisional At an early age, he joined the Algerian the architects of the battle of Algiers government. As Algeria was celebrating Muslim Scouts, an organisation that (1e56-57). its newly found independence danger sought to protect the identity of Muslim He was actively engaged in preparing loomed on the horizon. The army of youth, to support them morally and to the Congress of the Soummam (August the frontiers based in Morocco and guide them during their difficult 1956), a declaration for the conduct of Tunisia, led by Col Houari formative years. At the age of 22, the liberation war. Aware of the power Boumedienne (1932-78) and supported Benkhedda joined the Union of of the media. he was instrumental in by Ben Bella stormed through Algiers Algerian Muslim Students and the setting lp El-Moudjahid, the mouthpiece and seized power. Through defections Algerian People's Party (PPA, Parti du of the revolution. Whether in the and lack of support the GPRA collapsed Peuple Algdrien), and rose through the national movement or in the FLN, bi'August 1962. ranks to become a member of its Benkhedda encouraged the quest for Benkhedda preferred not to take a Central Committee. knowledge and truth and intellectual stand against his wellarmed brethren. Benkhedda was precociously aware of excellence. He listened to the cries of the people the harshness of life under colonial rule In 1958 he served as minister of social rvho did not want further bloodshed and the humiliations that characterised affairs in the Provisional Government of after a savage war, which had lasted impact rr':trRnntro.uAr.r :: npnii zoos seven and a half years and resulted in Latin America.l the power-hungry military at rhe the death of hundreds of thousands of How prophetic are these wordsl Not expense of the long suffering Algerians. Algerians. He believed the use of force only is feudalism back but also a Mohamed Harbi, an eminent Algerian was counterproductive and destructive militarist caste is firmly entrenched in historian and also a leader of the in the long run and in his wisdom he power. Another irony, which coincides national movement, writes about chose a course of action that was of this time with the physical death of Benkhedda in his memoirsz: 'A man of deep significance. Benkhedda, is that a conspirator of the great devotion and dedication without Indeed, history validates his vision army of frontiers is presiding over the equal. He is simple and calm. He has a because the cuiture of violence destiny of Aigeria. strong internal force. He is slow to introduced by the military as the only After his political death, Benkhedda make decisions but once his mind is form of government had led Algeria, 30 went back to the practice of pharmacy made up he rvould rarely go back on his years later, to a spiral of violence and and excelled in his profession. decisions.' And to highlight his destruction that surpasses the scale of However, he never stopped giving his integrity, Harbi adds:'Circumstances the war of iiberation. opinion whenever a major event had propelled him into high The withdrawal of Benkhedda from occurred in Alseria. In 1976 he defied responsibilities which a Machiavelli politics despite the legitimacy of his President Boumediene by issuing a would have undoubtedly exploited.' position is an eminent act of selfless declaration with a group of friends - The legacy of Benkhedda can be sacrifice and nobiiity of mind. The including Ferhat Abbas, Cheikh summed up as no compromise with pharmacist was trained to dispense Kheireddine and Hocine Lahouel - tyranny; devotion to the cause of the medicine and heal people, not to harm denouncing the rule of one-party Iiberation of his people; witness to the them. The collapse of the GPRA. meant system, lack of freedom, and truth; intellectual engagement; and the end of his political activity. corruption. All the signarories were put humility and strong faith. Colonialism did not break him but his under house arrest. At his burial his old companion compatriots had prevented him from Benkhedda left four valuable books lzs Bencheikh, from the days of their joint serving and guiding his people who accords d'Ettian (the agreement of struggle in the PPA-MTLD, gave him a were now at the mercy of the Evian), aux origines du ler Nouembre (the memorable tribute: 'Giants will remain revolutionaries without constitutional origins of first of November), Abane et giants and great will remain great... few checks and balances and a freejudiciary Ben M'hid,i, leur apport a la Reaolution of this generation knorv his historical to protect the rights of the people. (the contribution of Abane and Ben path.' He recalled also that: 'Benyoucef Benkhedda had, however, warned M'hid to the revolution and Algeria at Benkhedda had assumed heavy against the consequences of such independence), (l'Algirie a responsibilities in the most difficulr illegitimate and foolish acdons: I'indlpendance Ia crise d,e 1962 (the crisis moments. He had a strong personality 'Some officers who have lived abroad of 1962).