Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic

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The Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (French, Gouvernement Provisoire de la République Algérienne, GPRA) was the government-in-exile of the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) during the latter part of the Algerian War of Independence (1954-62).

The flag used by the GPRA, slightly different from the post-independence flag

[edit] Creation and purpose

The GPRA was set up in Cairo, Egypt, by the FLN on September 19, 1958, four years into the Algerian War of Independence.^[1] Its first President was the moderate nationalist Ferhat Abbas, who had for decades insisted on trying to peacefully reform the French colonial system, before finally despairing and joining the FLN's armed struggle. He was once re-elected to the post, in 1960, but already next year he was sidelined and replaced by Benyoucef Ben Khedda, who held the presidency as Algeria was declared independent.

The purpose of the GPRA was to serve as a diplomatic and political tool for the FLN. It allowed sympathizing governments to extend official recognition to it (among those who did, were neighbouring Morocco and Tunisia, as well as Nasserite Egypt and other Arab countries). Its headquarters were located in Tunis, but diplomats were posted in most major world capitals to try to lobby governments and organize local support groups. It was partly intended to serve as a preemptive diplomatic strike against a proposal by French President Charles de Gaulle, to hold a referendum by which Algeria would be given a autonomous status within France.^[2]

[edit] Post-independence dissolution

After the war, infighting broke out in FLN ranks. Ben Khedda of the GPRA briefly held power in Algiers, but there was no unified powe for the country. In late 1962, the GPRA was disbanded, as Ahmed Ben Bella seized power through forming a rival institution (a Political Bureau of the FLN) with the backing of the Armée de Libération Nationale (ALN), controlled by Col. Houari Boumédiène. An attempt by GPRA politicians and loyal guerrilla units to resist the military-backed takeover was crushed in a short but intense burst of internal fighting. A compromise forced by Boumédiène saw most of the provisional government enter an expanded Political Bureau, and the GPRA itself was dissolved.^[3] A one-party state under Ben Bella's command was then set up, after a constitution had been approved for the new republic.^[4]

While some argue that this broke the institutional continuity between the war-time GPRA and the present Algerian state, the Algerian presidency and government is still normally regarded as the GPRA's post-independence successor.

[edit] List of members of the GPRA

The GPRA was reformed twice, in 1960 and 1961, with the change of ministers and portfolios to some extent reflecting the shifts of power within the FLN. Below is a list of the three versions of the GPRA.^[5]

From left to right: Mohamed Khider, Mustafa Lacheraf, Hocine Aït Ahmed, Mohamed Boudiaf and Ahmed Ben Bella. The picture was taken after their arrest by France.

[edit] The first GPRA: 1958-60

• Mr Ferhat Abbas - President
• Mr Krim Belkacem - Vice President and Minister of the Armed Forces
• Mr Ahmed Ben Bella - Vice President
• Mr Hocine Aït Ahmed - Vice President
• Mr Rabah Bitat - Vice President
• Mr Mohamed Boudiaf - Minister of State
• Mr Mohamed Khider - Minister of State
• Mr Mohamed Lamine Debaghine - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Mr Mahmoud Cherif - Minister of Armaments and Provisions
• Mr Lakhdar Ben Tobbal - Minister of the Interior
• Mr Abdelhafid Boussouf - Minister of General Relations and Communications
• Mr Abdelhamid Mehri - Minister of Maghreb Affairs
• Mr Ahmed Francis - Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs
• Mr Mhamed Yazid - Minister of Information
• Mr Benyoucef Ben Khedda - Minister of Social Affairs
• Mr Ahmed Tewfik El Madani - Minister of Cultural Affairs
• Mr Lamine Khene - Secretary of State
• Mr Omar Oussedik - Secretary of State
• Mr Mustapha Stambouli

[edit] The second GPRA: 1960-61

• Mr Ferhat Abbas - President
• Mr Krim Belkacem - Vice President, and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Mr Ahmed Ben Bella - Vice President
• Mr Hocine Aït Ahmed - Vice President
• Mr Rabah Bitat - Vice President
• Mr Mohamed Boudiaf - Minister of State
• Mr Mohamed Khider - Minister of State
• Mr Saïd Mohammedi - Minister of State
• Mr Abdelhamid Mehri - Minister of Social and Cultural Affairs
• Mr Abdelhafid Boussouf - Minister of Armaments and of General Relations
• Mr Ahmed Francis - Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs
• Mr Mhamed Yazid - Minister of Information
• Mr Lakhdar Ben Tobbal - Minister of the Interior

[edit] The third GPRA: 1961-62

• Mr Benyoucef Ben Khedda - President, and Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs
• Mr Krim Belkacem - Vice President, Minister of the Interior of Foreign Affairs
• Mr Ahmed Ben Bella - Vice President
• Mr Mohamed Boudiaf - Vice President
• Mr Hocine Aït Ahmed - Minister of State
• Mr Rabah Bitat - Minister of State
• Mr Mohamed Khider - Minister of State
• Mr Lakhdar Ben Tobbal - Minister of State
• Mr Saïd Mohammedi - Minister of State
• Mr Saad Dahlab - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Mr Abdelhafid Boussouf - Minister of Armamaments and of General Relations
• Mr Mhamed Yazid - Minister of Information

[edit] References

[edit] Literature

• Achour Cheurfi, La classe politique algérienne, de 1900 à nos jours. Dictionnaire biographique (Casbah Editions, 2nd edition, Algiers 2006)
• Jacques Duchemin, Histoire du F. L. N. (Editions Mimouni, Algiers 2006)
• Benjamin Stora, Algeria. 1830-2000. A Short History (Cornell University Press, USA 2004)
• Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace. Algeria 1954-1962 (Viking 1978)