One-Party Rule in Algeria
Hadj, Messali
The following response was received from Messali Hadj, founder and originally leader of the Algerian nationalist movement, in response to questions concerning press reports that Algerian...
...Since the cease-fire went into effect, our militants and sympathizers, their families and all those who support the PPA (Algerian People's Party) have been the victims of kidnappings, torture and assassinations...
...This situation lasted from March 19 to the end of September, 1962, when installation of the first Algerian government took place...
...This did not prevent Ben Bella and an Algerian delegation from going to the United Nations where they spoke of democracy and the right of popular self-determination...
...The accounts of this tragedy which have been brought to us by those who escaped go beyond the most horrible things one can imagine...
...Certain sources close to the new government declare that the latter now has the situation in hand and will end up by imposing peace, security and the resumption of the country's economic and administrative life...
...The FLN is divided into several clans each of which is struggling by all means available to take power...
...The consequences of this situation have led more than 500 families to take refuge in France...
...Messali Hadj is today in France, having been denied permission to return to Algeria, where he leads the newly formed opposition movement, the Algerian People's Party...
...But, standing above all this is the menace of the one-party system with all its consequences...
...In spite of this, there are still kidnappings, impositions, torturing and crimes against our militants as well as the Algerian population...
...Each clan stands for the one-party system and dictatorship...
...What is the future of our country...
...In addition to that, a substantial number of Algerians have abandoned the country to find security and work...
...Among these are prisoners just recently liberated after long years of detention...
...The following response was received from Messali Hadj, founder and originally leader of the Algerian nationalist movement, in response to questions concerning press reports that Algerian "Messalists," many of them just released from years in French prison camps, were being persecuted by the new Algerian government...
...The impression one receives from this pitiless pursuit of the PPA by the FLN is that the latter sought to profit from the cease-fire in order to liquidate once and for all our party in Algeria...
...One need only glance at the last election results to realize that democracy is non-existent ALGERIA— (Continued from page 34) in Algeria...
...The number of victims can be established at between 700 and 1,000 persons...
...Continued on page 74) It must be said that Ben Bella made an effort to put an end to this butchery and disorder of all kinds...
...It would be difficult to predict exactly, but one must expect changes and transformations for the better and for the worse...
Vol. 10 • January 1963 • No. 1
