Benyoucef Benkhedda
Encyclopedia
Benyoucef Benkhedda (February 23, 1920 – February 4, 2003) was an Algeria
n politician. He headed the third GPRA
exile government of the National Liberation Front
(FLN), acting as a leader during the Algerian War (1954-62). At the end of the war, he was briefly the de jure leader of the country, however he was quickly sidelined by more conservative figures.
, Médéa Province
. The son of a Qadi
, he attended both the local Madrasah
and French
colonial school. He later attended the Ibn Rochd lycée at Blida
where he met pioneering Algerian nationalists such as Mohamed Lamine-Debaghine, Saad Dahlab
, Abane Ramdane
, Ali Boumendjel and M’hamed Yazid. "You are the knives which we sharpen against France!" was the oft repeated cry of the college headmaster.
Having received his baccalauréat
, he entered the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Algiers
in 1943, and after an interruption of his studies, obtained his degree in pharmacy
in 1953. In 1942 he joined the Algerian People's Party
(PPA). A year later he was arrested and detained by local SDECE
agents for campaigning against conscription
of Algerians in the war against Germany
as part of the "unsubmissives of Blida". He was released eight months later.
-MTLD
in 1947 and served as the general secretary
between 1951-1954. In November 1954 he was arrested again and released in May 1955, due to the intervention of French liberals
(who included the pied noir mayor of Algiers, Jacques Chevallier
), when he joined the new National Liberation Front
. He became an adviser to Abane Ramdane
in Algiers. In August 1956 the Congress of Soummam appointed him a member of the Algerian National Revolutionary Council and the Committee of Action and Co-ordination of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic
(GPRA) along with Abane, Dahlab Larbi Ben M'hidi
, and Krim Belkacem
. He, Abane and Ben M'hidi comprised the political and military triumvirate which directed the revolutionary Autonomous Zone. Algiers had become the capital of the resistance.
He and Abane were responsible for the creation of many projects such as the newspaper El Moudjahid
, the creation of the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) and the writing of Kassaman
, which would become the national anthem of Algeria. He miraculously escaped capture by the paratroopers of General Jacques Massu
by use of the sewer system of Algiers, fleeing the city after the capture of Ben M'hidi by paratroopers under Colonel Marcel Bigeard
, Ben M'hidi was later killed while imprisoned by soldiers of Paul Aussaresses
.
He went abroad in the name of the Liberation front and accomplished much for the organisation such as visiting the capitals of the Arab
states in 1957-58, London
in 1959, Yugoslavia
in 1961, Latin America
in 1960 and two visits to China
.
On August 9, 1961 he was appointed the president of the provisional government and completed negotiations with France, which were started by Ferhat Abbas
. A cease-fire was proclaimed the day before France officially recognised the national integrity of Algeria. He was welcomed as the country's leader by a jubilant Algerian population on July 3, 1962, the day that independence was recognised officially by France.
, supported by the 'Frontier Army' and Ben Khedda was forced to stand down to avoid a "fratricidal bloodbath". In 1976 he, with three leaders of the war of liberation (Ferhat Abbas
, Hocine Lahoue, Kheir-Eddine) signed a proclimation which set about to create a constitutional national assembly, elected by universal suffrage
to create a national charter. The four signatories were placed under house arrest and had their property seized. He was released in 1979.
Under the government of Chadli Bendjedid
which claimed to be a multi-party system
, he created 'El Oumma' with Abderahmane Kiouane and other friends from the liberation war in 1989. Its objective was the implemation of the Declaration of the 1st of November, 1954, that is: "The sovereign and democratic independent Algerian State within Islam
ic principles".
The aim of 'El Oumma' was to work towards a coming together of the Islamist
and Nationalist
parties for an Islamic society. The president, Liamine Zeroual
, who had succeeded Chadli promulgated a law prohibiting the use of the world "Islam" by the parties under penalty of dissolution. 'El Oumma' dissolved, unsuccessful, in 1997. At the same time he founded the 'Tadhamoune' with Sheikh
Ahmed Sahnoune with the aim of denouncing the state because of serious human rights
violations after the military coup
of January 1992.
. The University of Algiers
was later named in his honour. He had three sons.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n politician. He headed the third GPRA
GPRA
GPRA may refer to:*Government Performance and Results Act*Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic...
exile government of the National Liberation Front
National Liberation Front (Algeria)
The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.- Anticolonial struggle :...
(FLN), acting as a leader during the Algerian War (1954-62). At the end of the war, he was briefly the de jure leader of the country, however he was quickly sidelined by more conservative figures.
Early life
Benyoucef Benkhedda was born in 1920 in BerrouaghiaBerrouaghia
Berrouaghia is a town and commune in Médéa Province, Algeria. According to the 1998 census it has a population of 58,780.-References:...
, Médéa Province
Médéa Province
Médéa is a province of Algeria. The capital is Médéa.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into 19 districts , which are further divided into 64 communes or municipalities.-Districts:# Aïn Boucif# Aziz...
. The son of a Qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
, he attended both the local Madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
colonial school. He later attended the Ibn Rochd lycée at Blida
Blida
Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e...
where he met pioneering Algerian nationalists such as Mohamed Lamine-Debaghine, Saad Dahlab
Saad Dahlab
Saad Dahlab was an Algerian nationalist and politician. A long-time national activist, he played a part in virtually all the early Algerian nationalist movements: L'Étoile Nord-Africaine , the Parti du Peuple Algérien and the Mouvement pour la Triomphe des Libértes Démocratiques , all of them...
, Abane Ramdane
Abane Ramdane
Abane Ramdane was an Algerian revolutionarist born in Kabylie. He was the architect of the Congress of Soummam in 1956....
, Ali Boumendjel and M’hamed Yazid. "You are the knives which we sharpen against France!" was the oft repeated cry of the college headmaster.
Having received his baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
, he entered the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
in 1943, and after an interruption of his studies, obtained his degree in pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
in 1953. In 1942 he joined the Algerian People's Party
Algerian People's Party
The Algerian People's Party , was a successor organization of the North African Star , led by veteran Algerian nationalist Messali Hadj. It was formed on March 11, 1937...
(PPA). A year later he was arrested and detained by local SDECE
Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage
The Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage was France's external intelligence agency from 6 November 1944 to 2 April 1982 when it was replaced by the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure...
agents for campaigning against conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
of Algerians in the war against Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
as part of the "unsubmissives of Blida". He was released eight months later.
Algerian War
He was the a member of the central committee of the PPAAlgerian People's Party
The Algerian People's Party , was a successor organization of the North African Star , led by veteran Algerian nationalist Messali Hadj. It was formed on March 11, 1937...
-MTLD
Movement for the Triumph of Democratic Liberties
The Movement for the Triumph of Democratic Liberties , name proposed by Maiza, was created October 1946 to replace the outlawed Parti du Peuple Algerien . Messali Hadj remained as its president....
in 1947 and served as the general secretary
General secretary
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
between 1951-1954. In November 1954 he was arrested again and released in May 1955, due to the intervention of French liberals
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
(who included the pied noir mayor of Algiers, Jacques Chevallier
Jacques Chevallier
Jacques Chevallier was a liberal pied noir mayor of Algiers who governed the city at the head of a coalition of pied noir and Moslem representatives....
), when he joined the new National Liberation Front
National Liberation Front (Algeria)
The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.- Anticolonial struggle :...
. He became an adviser to Abane Ramdane
Abane Ramdane
Abane Ramdane was an Algerian revolutionarist born in Kabylie. He was the architect of the Congress of Soummam in 1956....
in Algiers. In August 1956 the Congress of Soummam appointed him a member of the Algerian National Revolutionary Council and the Committee of Action and Co-ordination of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic
Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic
The Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic was the government-in-exile of the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale during the latter part of the Algerian War of Independence .- Creation and purpose :The GPRA was set up in Cairo, Egypt, by the FLN on September 19, 1958, four years...
(GPRA) along with Abane, Dahlab Larbi Ben M'hidi
Larbi Ben M'hidi
Mohammed Larbi Ben M'hidi ), commonly known as Larbi Ben M'hidi or simply as Ben M'hidi, was a prominent Algerian leader during the war of independence. He was captured by French paratroopers in February 1957 , while supervising the guerilla actions of the FLN in the Battle of Algiers...
, and Krim Belkacem
Krim Belkacem
Krim Belkacem was an Algerian revolutionary fighter and politician....
. He, Abane and Ben M'hidi comprised the political and military triumvirate which directed the revolutionary Autonomous Zone. Algiers had become the capital of the resistance.
He and Abane were responsible for the creation of many projects such as the newspaper El Moudjahid
El Moudjahid
El Moudjahid is an Algerian French language newspaper. It was originally conceived as an FLN guerrilla information bulletin during the 1954-62 Algerian War, circulated among resistance fighters...
, the creation of the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) and the writing of Kassaman
Kassaman
Kassaman or Qassaman is the national anthem of Algeria. It was adopted in 1963, shortly after the Independence. The lyrics were written by Mufdi Zakariah in 1956 while imprisoned by the French colonial forces. He wrote the verses using his blood on the 69th cell walls. The composer of the music...
, which would become the national anthem of Algeria. He miraculously escaped capture by the paratroopers of General Jacques Massu
Jacques Massu
Jacques Émile Massu was a French general who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War, the Algerian War and the Suez crisis.-Early life:Jacques Massu was born in Châlons-sur-Marne to a family of military officers; his father was an artillery officer...
by use of the sewer system of Algiers, fleeing the city after the capture of Ben M'hidi by paratroopers under Colonel Marcel Bigeard
Marcel Bigeard
Marcel "Bruno" Bigeard was a French military officer who fought in World War II, Indochina and Algeria. He was one of the commanders in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and is thought by many to have been a dominating influence on French 'unconventional' warfare thinking from that time onwards...
, Ben M'hidi was later killed while imprisoned by soldiers of Paul Aussaresses
Paul Aussaresses
Paul Aussaresses is a retired French Army general, who fought during World War II, the First Indochina War and Algerian War...
.
He went abroad in the name of the Liberation front and accomplished much for the organisation such as visiting the capitals of the Arab
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
states in 1957-58, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1959, Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
in 1961, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
in 1960 and two visits to China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
On August 9, 1961 he was appointed the president of the provisional government and completed negotiations with France, which were started by Ferhat Abbas
Ferhat Abbas
Ferhat Abbas Kabyle: Ferḥat Σabbas, was an Algerian political leader and briefly acted in a provisional capacity as the yet-to-become independent country's President from 1958 to 1961.- Background :...
. A cease-fire was proclaimed the day before France officially recognised the national integrity of Algeria. He was welcomed as the country's leader by a jubilant Algerian population on July 3, 1962, the day that independence was recognised officially by France.
Later political career
A crisis emerged later that year between the provisional government and Ahmed Ben BellaAhmed Ben Bella
Mohamed Ahmed Ben Bella was a soldier and Algerian revolutionary, who became the first President of Algeria.-Youth:...
, supported by the 'Frontier Army' and Ben Khedda was forced to stand down to avoid a "fratricidal bloodbath". In 1976 he, with three leaders of the war of liberation (Ferhat Abbas
Ferhat Abbas
Ferhat Abbas Kabyle: Ferḥat Σabbas, was an Algerian political leader and briefly acted in a provisional capacity as the yet-to-become independent country's President from 1958 to 1961.- Background :...
, Hocine Lahoue, Kheir-Eddine) signed a proclimation which set about to create a constitutional national assembly, elected by universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
to create a national charter. The four signatories were placed under house arrest and had their property seized. He was released in 1979.
Under the government of Chadli Bendjedid
Chadli Bendjedid
Chadli Bendjedid was the sixth President of Algeria from February 9, 1979 to January 11, 1992.-Early career:...
which claimed to be a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
, he created 'El Oumma' with Abderahmane Kiouane and other friends from the liberation war in 1989. Its objective was the implemation of the Declaration of the 1st of November, 1954, that is: "The sovereign and democratic independent Algerian State within Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic principles".
The aim of 'El Oumma' was to work towards a coming together of the Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
and Nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
parties for an Islamic society. The president, Liamine Zeroual
Liamine Zéroual
Liamine Zéroual was the ninth President of Algeria from 31 January 1994 to 27 April 1999.He was born in Batna and joined the National Liberation Army in 1957, at the age of 16, to fight French rule of Algeria. After independence, he received training in Cairo, Moscow, and Paris...
, who had succeeded Chadli promulgated a law prohibiting the use of the world "Islam" by the parties under penalty of dissolution. 'El Oumma' dissolved, unsuccessful, in 1997. At the same time he founded the 'Tadhamoune' with Sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Ahmed Sahnoune with the aim of denouncing the state because of serious human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations after the military coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of January 1992.
Later life and popular recognition
He lived a quiet life for the rest of his days, running a pharmacy in Hidra, Algiers. After a long illness, Benyoucef Benkhedda died in his home in Algiers on February 4, 2003. A large crowd turned out for his funeral and he was buried at Sidi Yahia cemetery next to long-time companion Saad DahlabSaad Dahlab
Saad Dahlab was an Algerian nationalist and politician. A long-time national activist, he played a part in virtually all the early Algerian nationalist movements: L'Étoile Nord-Africaine , the Parti du Peuple Algérien and the Mouvement pour la Triomphe des Libértes Démocratiques , all of them...
. The University of Algiers
University of Algiers
The University of Algiers Benyoucef Benkhedda is a university located in Algiers, Algeria. It was founded in 1909 and is organized into seven faculties.-History:...
was later named in his honour. He had three sons.
See also
- Algerian War of IndependenceAlgerian War of IndependenceThe Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
- National Liberation Front (Algeria)National Liberation Front (Algeria)The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.- Anticolonial struggle :...
- Abane RamdaneAbane RamdaneAbane Ramdane was an Algerian revolutionarist born in Kabylie. He was the architect of the Congress of Soummam in 1956....
- Ferhat AbbasFerhat AbbasFerhat Abbas Kabyle: Ferḥat Σabbas, was an Algerian political leader and briefly acted in a provisional capacity as the yet-to-become independent country's President from 1958 to 1961.- Background :...
- Larbi Ben M'hidiLarbi Ben M'hidiMohammed Larbi Ben M'hidi ), commonly known as Larbi Ben M'hidi or simply as Ben M'hidi, was a prominent Algerian leader during the war of independence. He was captured by French paratroopers in February 1957 , while supervising the guerilla actions of the FLN in the Battle of Algiers...