A recent outbreak of violence could be bad news for the government, says Nosreddine Qassem Following six months of relative calm in Algeria, three bombings took place in one week, one targeting the Burj Al-Kifan barracks, the other a French company in Lakhdaria, and the third an army patrol in Beni Amrane. The attacks were designed to cause the utmost publicity by groups claiming to be linked with Al-Qaeda. Hunted down by the government and shunned by the general public, the militants wanted to remind everyone that they were still alive and kicking. They needed to prove that they are still a force to contend with, especially after a government amnesty undermined their support and encouraged many of their members to lay down their arms, including one of their leaders in the eastern part of the country. Recently, many assumed that these groups were a spent force, due to security successes in uncovering their hideouts and to divisions in their ranks. The bombings followed protests in Mseila and Chelf over deteriorating economic conditions, riots in Wahran following a football match, and tribal clashes in the south, all of which may have convinced the militants to strike while the iron was hot. And with Algeria getting ready to host its annual international fair, the militants seemed intent on embarrassing the government and causing the maximum possible disruption to business and the summer tourist season. For some time, militant groups in Algeria have been trying to undermine the government's efforts for national reconciliation. They are convinced that reconciliation is pointless and that the country cannot be saved except through further bloodshed. What they want, therefore, is to give the impression that the country is brimming with discontent and that reconciliation is but a distant dream. By attacking business interests in Algeria, the militants also want to weaken the economy and thus undermine the government's bid for stability and peace. The militants have a stake in spreading chaos in the country, as their best chance for survival depends on keeping Algeria in a state of despair and discontent. This is why they spend months preparing for such operations, especially in the mountainous areas connecting Bumerdes, Bouira, and Tizi Ouzo, also known as the Triangle of Death, where the terrain gives them an advantage over police forces trying to hunt them down. Despite their publicity stunts, it is evident that the militants are losing support as well as mobility. It is therefore likely that they would launch further spectacular attacks whenever they can in order to maintain their credibility. The more fractured and isolated they get, the more dangerous they are likely to become, for unless they can prove their ability to hurt the government, their external backing and funding may come to an end.
