Organization of free young Algerians (Algeria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: |
no
|
| PGM ID Number: |
61
|
| Country: |
Algeria |
| Date formed: |
Nov. 5, 1993 |
| Accuracy of date formed: |
day
|
| Details of Formation: |
The group was formed as a clandestine death squad of the DRS (Algerian security services) under General Toufik. |
| Date dissolved: |
Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: |
day
|
| Details of Termination: |
There is no information on termination, but there is no evidence that the group was active after 1995 (Wikipedia). |
| Termination Type(s): |
none
|
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): |
none
|
| Successor group(s): |
none
|
| Private Military Company? |
no |
| Former Group? |
no |
| Former Armed Group? |
no |
| Former Rebel Group? |
no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? |
no information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: |
informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: |
yes |
Main Creating Government Institution: |
military
|
| Government Link(s): |
military (institution)
|
| If link to party, name of party: |
None |
| Training and Equipment: |
no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: |
yes |
| Shared Personnel: |
yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: |
no information
|
| State Sponsor(s): |
none
|
| Other Connection(s): |
|
Group Characteristics
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Membership: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Purpose: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: |
not applicable
|
Other Information
| Other Information: |
The group is also called Organization of Young Free Algerians, and is known under its French acronym OJAL (Organisation des jeunes Algériens libres). |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: |
The group was created in order to revenge Islamic fundamentalists’ attack, so that the military did not have to use the official forces and could deny the violence (Wikipedia). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use |
deniability of violence
|
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: |
The group killed civilians, especially those they suspected of being sympathetic to the Islamist fundamentalists (Wikipedia). There are also reports of systematic torture and abductions, tolerated by the government. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: |
kidnapping/abductions; killing; torture
|
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? |
no |
| PGM Members Paid? |
yes |
| Reasons for Membership: |
Members joined the group because they want to eradicate Islam from Algeria (Wikipedia). |
| PGM Members Killed? |
no information |
PGM Size
Weapons and Training
Organisation
| Organisation: |
The group belongs to the DRS security forces and was founded under General Toufik. The de-facto leader of the organization supposedly was General Mohamed Lamar, head of the CC/ALAS (Centre Command of the Antisubversive Fight). The group works in the same way as the ORAF (Organization of the French Algerian Resistance) group did during the Independence War (Wikipedia). |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Wikipedia. “Organization of Young Free Algerians”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_of_Young_Free_Algerians
Evidence
