Algerian Army Comptroller General dismissed by stealth

As of October 22, General Major Mustapha Oudjani is no longer comptroller of the Algerian army. This information remained undisclosed until the publication of Official Gazette No. 73 of Thursday November 16. The information was published at the bottom of the 2nd column on page 13 of the official gazette, drowned in a pool of presidential decrees. Even his rank, Major General, is not mentioned.

Yet his appointment to this post, to replace Major General Hadji Zerhouni in August 2019, had been announced in the press. An unconstitutional appointment. It was decided by Abdelkader Bensalah, who was acting President of the Republic following the "resignation" of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. According to the constitution, an interim president has no prerogative to make changes either in the government or in any of the state's institutions.

The same applies to his successor, Major General Hadj Bouceldja, appointed on the same day. The new Comptroller General was previously Central Director of Quartermaster Services at the Ministry of National Defense. 

Changes at the head of the secret services are regularly announced, and handover ceremonies are broadcast on public and private television channels. And to think that appointments to the security services were a state secret. 

In fact, this change of army controller is not an isolated one.  Over the past few days, we have been witnessing a veritable ballet in various government bodies, the most spectacular of which have been those affecting the ambassadorial corps.  A change of ambassadors and consuls which takes place outside the usual period. The same applies to changes in the Ministry of National Defense, which usually take place between June and September.