As with the 2011 revolution in neighboring Tunisia, the military is again in the spotlight during this current popular uprising in vast, oil-rich Algeria. The role of Algeria's armed forces may be far more pivotal, analysts say, in determining whether it realizes a similarly trajectory, or tips into turmoil. Algeria's army, by contrast, succeeded from the country's independence fighters who waged a brutal and protracted war with France. While Algeria's army crushed the Islamists, its role in the conflict remained opaque, including in the thousands of disappearances that remain unsolved. How the armed forces will react to this current period of turmoil remains unknown.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 28, 2019 02:26 UTC