Algeria

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Algeria is today officially known as the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشّعبية). In antiquity the land was known as Numidia, later part of the Carthaginian, Roman, and Byzantine empires. Nomadic Berbers have made up a significant percentage of the population for thousands of years, and several Berber dynasties ruled much of the land during the Middle Ages. Islam was introduced by Arabs in the mid-7th century.

During the early part of the 16th century coastal areas of Algeria fell under control of the Spanish Empire, but most of these settlements (including Algiers) were later lost to the Ottomans and from 1517 until 1830 Algeria was considered part of the Ottoman Empire. It was during this period that England, France and Spain each lost thousands of merchant ships and captured slaves to pirates of the infamous Barbary Coast. The French would sieze control of Algiers in 1830 and lead a military conquest of the rest of Algeria that would last until 1848. Once under French control, Algeria was considered an integral part of France, with tens of thousands of Europeans emigrating there.

The Algerian War was launched by the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) in 1954 with the aim of liberating Algeria from French control. French forces were pitted against the Armée de Libération Nationale (ALN), the armed wing of the FLN. The war was primarily a guerilla campaign, but it evolved into a civil war as well, with loyalist Algerians supporting the nation remaining French and the insurrectionists favoring independence. Combat even spilled over into France, in the form of the so-called "Cafe Wars," bombings and assassinations that centered around cafes, perpetrated both by the FLN and the rival Mouvement National Algérien (MNA). France ultimately capitulated after nine years of war and Algeria achieved its independence in 1963.

The Algerian People's National Army (الجيش الوطني الشعبي) emerged directly out of the Armée de Libération Nationale (ALN) following the end of French rule in 1962, and has played a dominant role in the country's politics since. A Revolutionary Council of former military officers replaced the fledgling National Assembly in 1965, following a coup d'etat that deposed elected president Ahmed Ben Bella, after which the Ministry of Defense assumed administrative control of the government. In 1988, a multi-party system was introduced, but the military retained a degree of influence over the country's politics as it viewed Islamist parties with suspicion, and canceled free elections scheduled in 1991, following up with a second coup d'etat that deposed elected president Bendjedid. This move essentially sparked the beginning of the Algerian Civil War (1992-2002), pitting the Algerian military government against several Islamist insurgent groups, namely the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which had eyes on ruling Algeria under sharia law. Dissident groups resorted to terrorism and initiated several massacres of Algerian civilians. The war effectively ended in 2002, although a splinter group calling itself Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (الجماعة السلفية للدعوة والقتال) or GSPC (which has publicly endorsed Al-Qaeda and the killing of civilians) continued to wage a largely ineffective insurgency campaign against the government. This group later changed its name to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي).

Today, the People's National Army consists of the Algerian Land Forces, Algerian Naval Force, Algerian Air Force, the Territorial Air Defence Forces, the National Gendarmerie (الدرك الوطني), and the Republican Guard, the latter of which comes under direct control of the president. Within each branch of service (excepting the Air Defence) are one or more special operations units. The elite units of the Army include the 17th Parachute Division (six Parachute-Commando Regiments & support elements), the 104th and 116th Operational Maneuvers Regiments (RMOs), and the 25th Reconnaissance Regiment. The Navy has its Navy Special Action Regiment (RASM) or الفوج العمل الخاص للبحرية, aka the Commandos Marines, and specializes in maritime special operations. The Air Force has the 772nd Air Commando Rifle Regiment, the Gendarnerie has the Special Intervention Detachment (المفرزة الخاصة للتدخل), and the Republican Guard has its Special Intervention Regiment (RIS) or فوج الخاص التدخل.

Algeria also has a Directorate General for National Security (DGSN), or المديرية العامة للأمن الوطني, a national police agency that falls under the Ministry of the Interior. The DGSN have their own special operations unit, the Groupement des Opérations Spéciales de la Police (جمهرة العمليات الخاصة للشرطة) or GOSP.

Camouflage Patterns of Algeria

• During the Algerian War (1954-1962), Algeria was France's 10th Military Region, populated by its own distinctive native units including the Tirailleur infantry units, Spahi mechanized cavalry regiments, and several commando units. Some of these units, particularly the Commandos de Chasse or tracker units, were outfitted in French tenue de leópard or lizard pattern camouflage fatigues, caps, and even custom-made berets. Sources further show that units of the National Liberation Army (ALN) as well as some new Algerian Popular Army units also wore French camouflage fatigues (the former no doubt pilfered from French military sources), although these appear to have been phased out rather quickly and do not appear in photographs dated later than 1964.

• An interesting development during the Algerian War was the emergence of locally-produced uniform items made from camouflage fabrics dating to the Indochina War era and earlier, including British "brushstroke" windproof camo, American "frogskin", and a host of items made from made the ubiquitous French shelter half, ranging from berets, to practical headdress, to complete uniforms. Use of these uniforms spilled over to units of the National Liberation Army and even continued for a short period of time following independence.

• This is the clearest photograph we have of a camouflage design that was worn by the National Liberation Army around 1962. The design is clearly some sort of ragged spot pattern that bears very strong similarities to the East German flachtarnenmuster, as well as the Hungarian "Leaf" design of the 1970s. This camouflage pattern was not widely distributed and may have been strictly limited to use by the commandos trained at Bougara Barracks, as some photograph captions reference ALN troops wearing them in a training camp there. This particular design does not appear to have survived more than a couple years in service with Algeria.

• Very little is known about the Algerian Armed Forces during the first ten years of independence, but there is evidence suggesting that some units were actually issued Spanish rocoso pattern camouflage, probably during the 1970s or early 1980s.

• A darker variation of the tenue de leópard or lizard pattern was issued by the Algerian Armed Forces at some point, possibly as early as the 1970s. This design incorporates purple and very dark olive stripes on an olive green background. At this point, uniform styles followed closely the original French TAP design. Earlier versions (of which very few photographs seem to have survived) seem to appear more grey, and some simple uniform designs are likely to have been produced as well.

• At some point in the early 1990s, a desert DPM variant pattern similar to the original developed by the UK began seeing service with some Algerian units. This design was issued throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s although appears to have ceased being produced some time after 2004.

• An arid DPM variant was introduced into service around 2001, incorporating dark green, reddish-brown & dark ochre shapes on a khaki background. Although the pattern has been in service with some Army personnel (including special forces and high ranking officers), it is primarily associated with the Regiments de Fusiliers Marins (الفوج الأول للرماة البحرين) or Algerian Marines, and the Navy Special Action Regiment (الفوج العمل الخاص للبحرية). It seems plausible that this design replaced the previously issued desert DPM pattern.

• Several variations of woodland pattern camouflage are also worn by various Algerian units, including this version here with a lime-green base colors. It should be noted that the shapes of the design are completely different from those in the traditional "woodland" category of camouflage, having no relationship at all to the US-designed pattern derived from M1948 ERDL.

• At least two variations of brushstroke camouflage appear to be in service with the Algerian Armed Forces, and others may have entered service as early as the mid-1980s. From photographs it is difficult to ascertain precisely how many color variants have existed. One version (seen below, worn by an honor guard) incorporates dark olive green and russet shapes on a tan background. Another variation appears to be worn strictly by Algerian special forces personnel (Para-Commandos, Reconnaissance units, and special military police) incorporating wide brushstrokes in purplish-brown & olive green on a sandy background. It is worth noting that, during the Algerian War, a handful of members of the ALN were photographed wearing what seem to be Belgian "moon & balls" or "brushstroke" pattern camouflage uniforms, probably obtained through other African sources.

• A variation of the traditional French lizard camouflage design was re-introduced at some point in recent years, and appears to be affiliated primarily with airborne and para-commando units. The colors appear darker than the original French patterns, having a slightly greyish tone similar to lizard camouflage that was produced in Yugoslavia and its later republics such as Croatia. The lizard designs (past and present) appear to be limited to use by the Army elite units, including units of the 17th Parachute Brigade and the Operational Maneuvers Regiments.

• Another pattern to appear in recent years (2012) is this mottled brown design. Most of the units wearing this design appear to be Army special operations.

• The Garde Républicaine have their own camouflage pattern incorporating splinter-type shapes with a woodland palette. The shapes are often difficult to discern from a distance, making it easy to confuse this design with a variation of woodland pattern.

• The Navy Special Action Regiment (الفوج العمل الخاص للبحرية), also referred to as Commandos Marines (after the French special operations unit), are a specialized sub-unit falling under the administration of the Navy's Fusiliers Marins Regiment. Formed in 2005, this unit wears a mottled camouflage pattern similar to an earlier design but with darker color palette. The pattern appears to be restricted to this unit.