El Moudjahid ("The Martyr") is an Algerian French-language newspaper.[1] It was founded during the Algerian War to inform FLN resistance fighters, and after independence it became the newspaper of the single-party FLN government. Since the FLN was voted out of power in 1991, the newspaper is no longer affiliated with that party.

TypeDaily newspaper
Founded22 June 1965; 59 years ago (22 June 1965)
LanguageFrench
HeadquartersAlgiers, Algeria
ISSN1111-0287
Websitewww.elmoudjahid.com

History and profile

edit

El Moudjahid was originally conceived as an FLN guerrilla information bulletin during the 1954-62 Algerian War, circulated among resistance fighters. Its name, a French transliteration of the Arabic مجاهد (Mujahid), means "holy warrior", which the FLN called its fighters. Noted writer, activist and psychiatrist Frantz Fanon wrote for the newspaper. Eveline Safir Lavalette also worked on this newspaper, notably distributing pamphlets for it.

After the war, in 1962 this became the chief newspaper of Algeria.[1] It served as a propaganda organ for the single-party FLN government. When Algeria opened up its closed system in 1988 and allowed for the publication of independent newspapers, El Moujahid continued to publish. Today it is a state newspaper, but its ties with the FLN were cut after the party was voted out of power in the 1991 elections.

It is published daily, except Fridays, which in Algeria is the weekly holiday. The paper's headquarters are on the Algiers seafront, near the parliament and central bank.

Omar Belhouchet, an award-winning journalist, worked at El Moudjahid early in his career. In 1990 he left with nineteen colleagues to found the independent El Watan.[2]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Cristina Romero. "Media Landscapes. Algeria". European Journalism Center. Archived from the original on 27 September 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  2. ^ Youssef M. Ibrahim (26 July 1991). "Algeria in Ferment -- A Special Report; In Algeria, Hope for Democracy but Not Economy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2011.