Algerian state propaganda provokes outrage

Algeria

Published on Friday, 20 October 2017 Back to articles

Most Algerians were outraged when, on 30 September, state-owned ENTV broadcast traumatic video footage of some of the worst massacres and atrocities from the civil war of the 1990s. The footage on ENTV — showing children cut to pieces and beheaded and burnt corpses — was described by the El Watan daily newspaper as “a supreme abomination; an absolute terror”.

The question, which has still not been answered, is who ordered this to be shown on ENTV. It is illegal to show such film, so the order could only have come from an extremely high level, such as the prime minister or the Presidency. Most speculation seems to be putting the blame on Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, but that could be because of the public’s extreme indisposition towards him. It might just as well have been the Presidency — especially as the occasion and justification for showing the footage was the 12th anniversary of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s promulgation of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation — perhaps to remind Algerians how Bouteflika had brought the country from barbarism to peace and what might happen if they should resort to violence.

This has always been a central component of the state’s control mechanism. Normally, ENTV shows film coverage of violence in other countries — such as Libya or Syria — with the not-so-subtle message: ‘Look what happens when people resort to violence’. We believe this is the first time that the state has used footage of its own domestic terror to intimidate Algerians in this way. Ironically, the exercise provoked public outrage rather than fear.

This article was taken from our monthly Algeria Focus publication. For more information on this issue or to find out about past issues then please contact us.

Related articles

  • Algeria

    Is Macron planning a trap for Tebboune?

    Published on Tuesday, 19 March 2024

  • Algeria

    Algeria: Postponement of 2024 Presidential Election is a real possibility

    Published on Monday, 26 February 2024

  • Algeria

    Algeria is embroiled in yet another football scandal

    Published on Tuesday, 23 January 2024

  • Algeria

    Crisis in Algeria’s relations with UAE 

    Published on Tuesday, 19 December 2023