Timeline of the Algerian Civil War

The Algerian Civil War was a conflict in Algeria, starting in 1991 and continuing to a diminished extent up to the present.

1991

  • November 27 - Two Islamists who had fought in Afghanistan, Aïssa Messaoudi and Abderrahmane Dahane, attack a border post at Guemmar, killing soldiers and foreshadowing the war to come.
  • December 26 - First round of parliamentary elections; FIS wins 188 of the 232 (of 429) seats decided on the first ballot, putting it far ahead of any other party. FFS wins 25 seats, while the ex-ruling party, FLN, wins just 15.

1992

  • January 3 - The second round of Algeria's general elections is cancelled. President Chadli Bendjedid forced to resign.
  • January 14 - It is announced that a military-backed High Council of State (HCE) is taking over.
  • January 16 - The exiled ex-independence fighter Mohammed Boudiaf returns and is given leadership of the HCE.
  • January 22 - Leading FIS member Abdelkader Hachani arrested.
  • February 9 - State of emergency declared.
  • March 4 - FIS dissolved by government decree.
  • June 29 - Mohammed Boudiaf assassinated; his role is filled by Ali Kafi.
  • July 12 - FIS leaders Abassi Madani and Ali Belhadj sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment.
  • August 26 - Algiers airport bombed; 9 deaths, 128 injured.

1993

  • March 27 - Algeria cuts diplomatic relations with Sudan and Iran, accusing them of supporting terrorism in Algeria.
  • May 26 - Anti-Islamist writer Tahar Djaout attacked by assassins; he died of his wounds shortly after, on June 2.
  • August 22 - Ex-Prime Minister Kasdi Merbah assassinated. The government accuses the GIA, while FIS accuses the government.
  • December 1 - Deadline beyond which the GIA had stated that it would consider all foreigners remaining in Algeria as targets.

1994

  • January 30 - Liamine Zeroual given presidency of the High Council of State.
  • March 10 - Tazoult prison escape; guerrillas apparently attacked the prison and freed about 1000 prisoners. On the same day, the playwright Abdelkader Alloula was assassinated.
  • August 27 - Moroccan border closed.
  • September 29 - Rai singer Cheb Hasni assassinated.
  • November 14 - Alleged Berrouaghia prison massacre.
  • December 24 - GIA hijacks Air France Flight 8969.
  • December 27 - main foreign airlines stop flights to Algeria.

1995

  • January 14 - Representatives of FIS, FFS, and FLN (and some smaller parties) sign the Sant'Egidio platform (text) in Rome, seeing it as a blueprint for ending the conflict. The Algerian government found its provisions unacceptable, and did not sign.
  • February 21 - Serkadji prison mutiny; 4 guards and 96 prisoners killed in a day and a half, following an escape attempt and prison mutiny in a high-security prison for people charged with or convicted of terrorism.
  • November 16 - Liamine Zeroual elected president.

1996

  • May 21 - The seven French Trappist monks of Tibhirine are beheaded.
  • July 16 - GIA leader Djamel Zitouni killed by the rival LIDD in an 0 ambush. Antar Zouabri takes over.

1997

  • April 3 - Thalit massacre; 1 of the 53 inhabitants of Thalit are killed by guerrillas.
  • April 22 - Haouch Khemisti massacre; 93 villagers killed.
  • April 23 - Omaria massacre in Algeria; 42 villagers killed.
  • June 5 - Parliamentary elections. The newly created pro-government RND comes first, with 156/380 seats, followed by the Islamist MSP (69) and the former single party FLN (62); these top three form a coalition government. Zeroual remains president.
  • June 16 - Dairat Labguer massacre; some 50 people killed.
  • July 27 - Si Zerrouk massacre; about 50 people killed.
  • August 3 - Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre; 40-76 villagers killed.
  • August 20 - Souhane massacre; over 60 people killed, 15 kidnapped.
  • August 26 - Beni-Ali massacre; 60-100 people killed.
  • August 29 - Rais massacre; over 98 (and possibly up to 400) people killed.
  • September 1 - FIS leader Abassi Madani moved from jail to house arrest. The more radical Ali Belhadj remains in jail.
  • September 5 - Beni-Messous massacre; over 87 killed.
  • September 19 - Guelb El-Kebir massacre; 53 killed.
  • September 21 - The AIS declares a unilateral ceasefire.
  • September 22 - Bentalha massacre; over 200 villagers killed.
  • October 12 - Sidi Daoud massacre; 43 killed at a fake roadblock.
  • November 27 - Second Souhane massacre; 25 killed.
  • December 24 - Sid El-Antri massacre; 50-100 villagers killed.
  • December 30 - Wilaya of Relizane massacres of December 30, 1997: up to 400 people are killed in four villages in the wilaya of Relizane.

1998

1999

  • April 15 - Abdelaziz Bouteflika elected president, all other candidates having withdrawn alleging fraud.
  • June 5 - The AIS agrees in principle to disband and starts negotiating for an amnesty for its fighters.
  • November 22 - Senior FIS member Abdelkader Hachani assassinated.

2000

  • January 11 - AIS concludes its negotiations with the government for an amnesty and disbands.

2001

2002

  • February 8 - Antar Zouabri, GIA leader, is killed in his hometown of Boufarik. (His death had been incorrectly announced on previous occasions.)

2003

2004

  • June 20 - Government announces killing of GSPC head Nabil Sahraoui. He is succeeded by Abou Mossaab Abdelouadoud.
  • July - GIA leader Rachid Abou Tourab killed, according to an interior ministry statement in January 2005.
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