Algerian National Gendarmerie
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Year of creation : 1962 Ministry of attachment : Ministère de la Défense nationale Workforce: 120 000 General manager : Général-major Menad NOUBA Address : Route des dunes BP 28, Cheraga Rp, Tél. : +213 (0) 21 37 57 70 Fax : +213 (0) 21 37 54 51 Communication Manager : Lieutenant-colonel Abdelhamid KEROUD Email : CCOM-CGN@mdn.dz Website : www.mdn.dz/site_cgn/ 
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History
Established in Algeria on June 1830, the French Gendarmerie exercised its privileges on this territory transformed in French departments, until the independence proclaimed in 1962. The Algerian National Gendarmerie (ANG) is created by the August 23rd, 1962 order n° 62-019 signed by the Algerian State temporary Executive President, Abderrahman Farès. Its first commander-in-chief is colonel Ahmed Bencherif (1962-1977).
From 1963, its Staff is equipped with a dark green colour uniform and raises the current badge created by Mohamed Racem. From 1969, the Algerian National Gendarmerie accelerates the ‘arabisation’ process of its structures and the use of the Arabic language. France participates in its staff’s training until 1971. Staffing increases, passing from 3 000 men in 1962 to 10 500 men in 1987.
In the 1980s, the Algerian National Gendarmerie has to face the 1980 "Berber spring" and the 1986 Sétif riots. During this period of strong social tension, a May 1988 presidential decree specifies more the Algerian National Gendarmerie missions and organization. The corps adapts itself to the new constitution, elaborated after the October 1988 riots, which advocates the democracy and the multiparty system.
In 1991, this process is brutally interrupted by the electoral victory of the Islamic Salvation Islamic Front (SIF) aiming at the institution of an Islamic State. Facing a real civil war, the Algerian National Gendarmerie strong with about 45 000 men, is inserted into the global plan for combatting the Armed Islamic Group (AIG). In 1999, the president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s advent brings back the civil peace. The Algerian National Gendarmerie knows an important development in terms of staff and means, since the beginning of 2000s.
The presidential decree n° 009-143 of April 2nd, 2009 reorganizes the gendarmerie corps and consolidates it in the accomplishment of its missions for Criminal Investigations and administrative as well as servicemen. This decree confers to the Gendarmerie a real autonomy with regard to budget and financial management. The Algerian National Gendarmerie opens more on the outside world by developing relations of cooperation with the other Gendarmeries and the similar corps of the foreign countries.
Organization
Integral part of the Popular National Army (PNA), the Algerian National Gendarmerie is placed under the Minister of Defence’s authority. A general officer is in command, "Commander of the National Gendarmerie" appointed by presidential decree.
Central organization
At central level, the Algerian National Gendarmerie command is located in Chéraga, in Algiers west suburb. It includes an operation centre (OC) articulated in 7 operational directions. These directions are structured in operational divisions (11 all in all) and in technical and administrative central services (10 all in all).
Territorial organization
At regional level, 6 regional commands correspond to 6 military regions.
At local level, we find:
• 48 territorial squads of gendarmes placed at the wilaya (department) level;
• 210 territorial companies placed at the daïra (district) level;
• 1233 territorial brigades placed at the municipality level.
Specialized Formations
The ANG also has:
• Maintenance of law and order units organized in formed units (38 intervention and reserve units), 161 intervention platoons and 38 intervention and neutralization groups);
• Of frontier officers units: 1 central command, 5 regional districts, 19 squad of gendarmes, 77 platoons of gendarmes and 173 advanced posts;
• Other specialist units, among which we find:
- The special intervention Task Force equivalent of the French GIGN,
- The 11th National Gendarmerie air squadron,
- Specialized territorial units acting in support to the territorial units: Criminal Research Sections connected with the Squad of Gendarmes and in charged of important legal cases (19), Crime scenes units (34), Security and intervention sections (58), Dog unit teams (293), Road safety squadrons (37) and Road safety brigades (71) connected to the Squad of Gendarmes and in charged of the road network surveillance (approximately 110 000 km), maritime brigades (12) connected to the Squad of Gendarmes and in charge of the irregular immigration and the illicit traffics fights,
- The National Gendarmerie forensic and criminology National institute located in Bouchaoui (Algiers West suburb).
Missions
The April 27th, 2009 presidential decree n° 09-143 giving National Gendarmerie missions and organization arranges that this institution is a military force in authority with law and order missions. The Algerian National Gendarmerie exercises its missions for the benefit of all the ministerial departments, in particular the ministries of the Interior, of Justice and of Defence. Besides, through its group of frontier officers, it controls and checks the traffic of the people and the goods throughout the ground borders 6 343 kilometres.
Thus, the Algerian National Gendarmerie has to face particularly the cross-border traffics (narcotics, smuggling & contraband, weapons, etc.), the terrorist groups evolving most of the time in rural areas and the security problems of road traffics.
Staff
The Algerian National Gendarmerie has a staff of 120 000 men and women. It consists of 3 corps: Officers (5%), non-commissioned officers (54%) and the auxiliary gendarmes (40%). The rest of staff consists also of civilians and conscripts of the contingent. Since 2004, the institution is feminized.
• Officers are trained over 3 years.
• Non-commissioned officers are trained over 2 years.
• Auxiliary gendarmes are volunteers called to serve for a maximum duration of 20 years.
Training institutions
Four schools:
• Issers National Gendarmerie graduate School for the officers;
• Sidi-Bel-Abbès, Sétif and M’ Daourouche Schools for the non-commissioned officers;
• 6 Training Centres (4 auxiliary gendarmes training centres, one motorcycle training centre and the Bainem Dog team training centre, in the suburb of Algiers).
Main equipment
• Armaments: generally supplied by the Algerian military industry; it is the case for bulletproof vests, ballistic protection helmets, Fighting lashings, the Makarov semiautomatic pistols and the Kalashnikov automatic assault rifles products locally under license.
• Vehicles: Volkswagen, Kia, Nissan or Toyota (4x4) and BMW for motorcycles most of the time – For the Transport and Combat Armoured vehicles: Fahd 200 Egyptians, LM 100 of Rumanian manufacturing locally reequipped, as well as Panhard M3 and AML 60 of French manufacturing.
• Airborne equipment: helicopters Agusta Westland AW 109 and Agusta Westland AW 109 Koala equipped with security cameras.
The ANG does not possess either plane, or boat (there are no specialized gendarmeries). On sea, most of the public service missions are led by the Coastguards National Body, which is placed under the authority of Navy Chief of staff.
Cooperation
The cooperation between the Algerian National Gendarmerie and the French National Gendarmerie is particularly developed. It answers the priorities defined by the Algerians: Forensic and technical police, Criminal Investigation Department, road safety, specialized intervention, instructor training and logistic support.
For several years, the number of technical cooperation actions led between the French and Algerian gendarmeries varies between 25 and 30 a year (in 2012, 30 actions were carried out).
© The iconography was provided by the concerned gendarmeries