From: jisrawi@physics.rutgers.edu
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Algeria: summary of Boudiaf's biography
Date: 25 Jul 92 12:04:14 GMT


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              *                                  *
              *       Boudiaf in brief           *
              *                                  *
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     Mohamed Boudiaf joined the nationalist party PPA-MTLD at
a young age. He favored, like many other young nationalist, the
direct and military action. In 1947, Ait Ahmed formed the
Organisation Special (OS), the military branch of the MTLD.
Boudiaf joined it (1,2,4) and was in charge of the Constantine
area. By 1949, OS was dismantled by the french police and most
of its members were jailed. Boudiaf succeeded in evading the
police search and remained underground in Algiers (2,4).

     The electoral fraud of 1951 was followed by a split in the
nationalist movement (4). The "centralists", a group from the
central committee of the PPA-MTLD, decided to break from the
leadership of Messali Hadj (2). In March 1954, Mohamed Boudiaf
and Didouche Mourad then decided to create the C.R.U.A. (Comite
Revolutionaire d'Unite et d'Action) (2,4). By the end of April
1954, the CRUA held a meeting in Algiers, known as the meeting
of the 22, and decided on direct military action. The C.R.U.A.
also appointed a committee of 9 people, known as the "chefs
historiques", to lead the CRUA. The "nine" were:
  * Coordinator: Boudiaf
  * External delegation: Ait Ahmed, Ben Bella, Khider
  * Internal leaders:Ben Boulaid, Ben Mhidi, Bitat, Didouche, Krim

 On October 24, 1954, Boudiaf (4) and the five internal leaders
met and decided to start a general insurrection on November 1,
1954. Boudiaf, then left Algeria and remained outside until his
kidnapping by the french authorities: Boudiaf, Ben Bella, Ait
Ahmed, Khider and Mostefa Lacheraf were in a Moroccan plane
along the mediterranean. French military convinced the pilot (a
french citizen) to land in Algeria (4).
  Boudiaf remained in prison until his release after the
independence.
  
  The independence of Algeria brought up the division in the
FLN leadership and their desire to seize power. Ben Bella and
Boumediene formed the group of Tlemcen and "Political Bureau" to
take charge in Algeria. Boudiaf and Krim formed the group of
Tizi Ouzou (2,3,6). The groups engaged in deadly battles in
their scramble for power: Algerians killed Algerians. The
military balance was in favor of the Tlemcen group.
  On August 2 1962, the group of Tizi Ouzou met to assess the
situation and decided on future actions (3,6). At that time
"Krim understood that Boudiaf has already decided to revise his
position" (3) and joined the winning camp: the group of
Tlemcen. An end to the civil was war signed (in August 1962).
Boudiaf became member of the "Political Bureau" (group of
Tlemcen) (1,6) while Krim, true to his principles, decided to
run for the parliament and remain in the opposition. He will
win a seat in the Kabylie. 
  Thus after a first, failed, attempt to seize power with the
Tizi group, Boudiaf joined the camp he was fighting and reached
power. However, it was clear that Ben Bella (and Boumediene)
were not ready to share power. Understanding that, Boudiaf
resigned (1,6). Later other will follow -either resign or be
expelled or even killed-: Ferhat Abbas, Khider, Mohamed
Khemisti, Krim...(4)
  Boudiaf, after leaving Algeria for exile, founded the Parti
de la Revolution Socialist (PRS). The PRS is a communist party
that is even more left than the FLN under Ben Bella (1,6).
Boudiaf, in his exile (essentially in Morocco) remained
strongly opposed to successive Algerian governments. In his
opposition, he had an alliance with the CNDR (Comite National
pour la Defense de la Revolution Algerian) founded by Khider
(6). In 1966, he made an alliance with the OCRA (Organisation
Clandestine de la Revolution Algerienne) (6). The OCRA
objectives of overthrowing the Algerian governments were
unsuccessful (6).

     During the early days of independence occurred one of the
first case of corruption and money embezzlement of Algeria, and
perhaps the one with the most negative effects on the nation as
it occurred while the country is still "young" and in deep need
of financial resources. Mohamed Khider has deposited the "FLN
tresaurery" (Le Tresor de Guerre du FLN) under his name in a
Swiss bank (4, 6). That money consisted in the resources of the
FLN gathered during the war and in the money donated by the
population in 1962. The money stolen by Khider profited several
people and organizations including Mohamed Boudiaf and his
party PRS (6). 

  In January 1992, a group of military officers seize power in
Algeria after cancelling the first free parliamentary election
since independence and brought Boudiaf to become a president of
a leading "council" called High State Council.  Prior to the
coup, Boudiaf flew secretly to Algeria to meet with the
military generals who were preparing the coup in the midst of
the election return (5). 

  Boudiaf, succeeded finally to seize power by force. His
first two attempt were with the group of Tlemcen and with the
group of Tizi Ouzou

  The rest is current event....

   =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
   = " Our liftime is short and we will all die. Why is this =
   =  competition for leadership?".                          =
   =                              Mohamed Boudiaf            =
   =                                 in his                  =
   =                                last speech              =
   =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=




BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1]  Boudiaf, Mohamed, Ou va l'Algerie, Editions Librairie de
     L'Etoile, 1964.

[2]  Courrieres, Yves, La Guerre d'Algerie

[3]  Hamdani, Amar, Le Lion Des Djebels, Balland Editions,
     1973.

[4]  Horne, Alistaire, A Savage War of Peace, Algeria, 1954-
     1962,

[5]  Jeune Afrique No 1629. 

[6]  Quandt, William B., Revolution and Political Leadership:
     Algeria, 1954-1968, The Massacusets Institute of
     Technology Press, 1969.