Much Noise About Nothing

The state of emergency declared on Feb. 7, 1992, when Algeria had just plunged into a lethal cycle of Islamo-terrorist violence, was officially lifted Thursday. The decision had already been adopted at the last Council of Ministers meeting, but its announcement was reported glowingly by the international media. The American president, for example, spoke of it as a “positive sign.” But did Barack Obama jump the gun in his official response, a bit like Lucky Luke, and just get carried away?

At the risk of being deemed a grouch by governmentally authorized cheerleaders, it is still appropriate to at least consider what will change now, and if any change will match the collective dreamlike state during the years of the state of emergency. These questions can be answered right away: Not much will change, at least politically speaking. Public demonstrations in the capital will still be forbidden, as the Minister of the Interior repeated Thursday on the radio. Yet public demonstrations are tangible aspects of the state of emergency, especially in the capital; they highlight its direct and negative impact on citizens’ democratic liberties. And it’s surely not just to hear himself speak that the American president, on this exact topic, expressed his impatience in “look[ing] forward to additional steps by the government that enable the Algerian people to fully exercise their universal rights, including freedom of expression, association and assembly.”

On the other hand, it is true that the fight against terrorism will now be coordinated by the general staff of the army which — thanks to the new ruling — will restore some power to local prefects and security services. And counterterrorism measures will now be firmly steered through judicial safeguards. This should signal the end of abuse and other arbitrary decisions made in the name of the state of emergency, which had always fueled the fire of not-so-well-intentioned non-governmental organizations.