Algerian Republic
للجمهورية الجزائرية
République algérienne
1958–1962
Seal of Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic
Seal
Anthem: "Kassaman"
CapitalAlgiers (de jure until 1962)
Capital-in-exileCairo (1958-1960)
Tunis (1960-1962)
Common languagesArabic
French
GovernmentGovernment in exile
President 
• 1958–1961
Ferhat Abbas
• 1961–1962
Benyoucef Benkhedda
Historical eraDecolonization of Africa
1 November 1954
• GPRA proclaimed
19 September 1958
19 March 1962
• GPRA seated in Algiers
1 July 1962
• Independence proclaimed
5 July 1962
25 September 1962
Preceded by		Succeeded by
French Algeria
Algeria
Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic

Cabinet of Algeria
Date formed19 September 1958 (1958-09-19)
Date dissolved25 September 1962 (1962-09-25)
People and organisations
Head of governmentFerhat Abbas and Benyoucef Benkhedda
Member partiesNational Liberation Front
Status in legislatureCoalition

The Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (Arabic: الحكومة المؤقتة للجمهورية الجزائرية, ح م ج ج; French: Gouvernement provisoire de la République algérienne, GPRA) was the government-in-exile of the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) during the latter part of the Algerian War of Independence (1954–62).

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 as early as the following year he was sidelined and replaced by Benyoucef Benkhedda, 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 sympathetic governments to extend official recognition to it (among those that did were neighbouring Morocco and Tunisia, as well as Nasserite Egypt, other Arab countries, and Pakistan). 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 an autonomous status within France.[2]

1962 Algerian crisis

After the war, the Algerian crisis period began and infighting broke out in FLN ranks. Benkhedda of the GPRA briefly held power in Tizi Ouzou, but there was no unified power for the whole country. Ahmed Ben Bella entered Algeria with the National Liberation Army (ALN) and established his headquarters in Tlemcen in July. By 9 September, the ALN entered Algiers and Ben Bella declared that the crisis ended.[3] In late 1962, the GPRA was disbanded, after Ahmed Ben Bella seized power through forming a rival institution (a Political Bureau of the FLN) with the backing of the National Liberation Army (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.[4] A one-party state under Ben Bella's command was then set up, after a constitution had been approved in elections by 99.6% of voters for the new republic.[5]

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.

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.[6]

Principle leaders of the FLN (from left to right. Ben Bella, Mohamed Boudiaf, Ait Ahmed Hocine, Mohame, Lacheref Mohamed Khider)Taken after their 22 October 1956 arrest by the French Army following the interception of their (Moroccan civilian) flight between Rabat and Tunis headed for Cairo.

The first GPRA: 1958–60

Ministerial reshuffle at 15 March 1959

The second GPRA: 1960–61

The third GPRA: 1961–62

References

  1. ↑ First declaration of the GPRA Première Déclaration du Gouvernement Provisoire Algérien (in French)
  2. ↑ Library of Congress, United States - Country Study: Algeria
  3. ↑ Ottaway, David; Ottaway, Marina (2022-03-25). Algeria: The Politics of a Socialist Revolution. Univ of California Press. pp. 17–24. ISBN 978-0-520-35711-2.
  4. ↑ Library of Congress, United States - Country Study: Algeria
  5. ↑ Library of Congress, United States - Country Study: Algeria
  6. ↑ Private web site - Algerian History

Literature

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