This is the second change within the Algerian intelligence agency in less than two months
The Algerian Ministry of Defense appointed Djebbar M’henna to the post of Director General of Foreign Documentation and Security, during a ceremony chaired by the Algerian Chief of General Staff, Saïd Chanegriha. M’henna will replace General Abdelghani Rachedi as head of the foreign intelligence service due to health problems, according to Algerian sources.
However, this replacement also reveals the instability within the national intelligence agency, since it is the second change in less than two months. M’henné is also the fourth general to hold this post since May.
Until now, the soldier worked in an agency linked to the intelligence services specializing in the separatist movements of the MAK (Movement for the self-determination of Kabylia) and Rachad, organizations considered by Algiers to be terrorists. This agency, created following last year’s massive fires that killed hundreds of people and dozens of soldiers, is also keen to target activists from the Hirak protest movement.
Previously, in 2019, M’henna was sentenced to prison for abuse of power and illicit enrichment during Ahmed Gaid Salah’s tenure as Army Chief of Staff. However, he was released a year later, becoming one of the country’s leading military figures. M’henné took part in a meeting focusing on security during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Algeria.
The military officer now heads the Foreign Intelligence Agency, a body with offices in several countries that works with the intelligence services of Algeria’s allied nations and monitors Algerian opponents abroad. M’henné’s tasks include the ongoing crisis in Algiers with Morocco, Spain and Egypt, as well as the situation in Libya and instability in the Sahel. On the other hand, as Al-Arab notes, M’henna’s new mission in this post will probably be to hunt down “activists who oppose the Algerian authorities” .
M’henné should also bring stability to the agency after several years of change and controversy. Youssef Bouzi, one of the most important generals of the secret service, was at the center of one of the biggest scandals. As Al Quds Al Arabi reports, Bouzi was arrested on serious charges such as espionage and illicit enrichment, as well as collaborating with Gulf countries. As a result, the foreign intelligence service has changed directors five times in just three years, creating a dangerous imbalance within one of the most important defense agencies.
