Project Overview

Reports Index

A spate of massacres in Algeria in the second half of 1997 and early 1998 resulted in a surge of international interest in the country and led, briefly, to a diplomatic flurry of activity. But while the sudden glare of media and high-level political attention increased awareness of the violence and complexity of Algeria's crisis, it also exposed a lack of understanding and agreement, among key policy-makers in Europe and north America, concerning the measures necessary to help resolve the crisis and bring an end to the appalling wave of killings.

A small-scale project launched in early 1998, ICG's Algeria initiative has been designed to help generate support for Algeria's civil society and increase scrutiny of the country's national institutions. While problems of access and security have prevented the establishment of a permanent field presence in Algeria, ICG has published a number of reports on the plight of the press, the performance of the legislature and preparations for the 1999 presidential elections, based on field missions and input from local researchers.