Algerian TV Documentary Exposes Terrorist Plot of “Rachad” Movement, Its Foreign Connections

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

ALGIERS- In a documentary aired by Algerian television on Friday evening, a detailed expose was made, backed by evidence and live testimonies, revealing the primary objectives and malicious intentions behind the establishment of the “Rachad” terrorist movement in 2007. The movement emerged from the remnants of the local Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), adopting a path of violence, secrecy, and civil disobedience, with direct ties to international criminal organizations and foreign intelligence agencies aimed at destabilizing Algeria.

According to the Algerian News Agency, among the prominent founders were former militants of the local party, including Abbas Arwa and Mourad Dahina. The latter was implicated as the leader of the “Mujahideen Abroad Secretariat,” involved in arms smuggling operations for terrorist groups operating in Algeria since 1993, and his name was linked to several cases of logistical support for terrorist groups.

The documentary presented testimonies from defectors of the “Rachad” movement who benefited from the national reconciliation measures and the policy of the extended hand initiated by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. They affirmed that behind the appealing slogans that emerged prominently during the Algerian popular movement “El Hirak” in 2019, advocating for democracy and legitimacy, there were malicious intentions by a group of “mercenaries” leading the movement.

The main concern of these mercenaries was “to seek positions and wealth through revenge against the Algerian state,” in addition to “collecting money in exchange for false slogans aimed at promoting division among Algerians and fostering hatred, and ultimately dividing the country,” as highlighted by defector Sedik Dahdi, who was the personal guard for former party leaders Abbas Madani and Ali Belhadj.

In this regard, defector Abdelrazak Sekhri considered the movement’s leaders to be “calling for nationalism and peace while inciting violence, distorting facts, and spreading fake news.” The terrorist Mohamed Larbi Zitout urged his followers to infiltrate the popular movement in its early stages, inciting them to chant slogans to strike state institutions, particularly the People’s National Army, and to create violence hotspots and burn flags of foreign countries to provoke international intervention. However, their plans were thwarted by the awareness of the Algerian people.

Moreover, defector Yahia Mekhiouba revealed that the terrorist Mohamed Larbi Zitout “has connections with international terrorist organizations and intelligence agencies hostile to Algeria,” sourcing most of his information mentioned in the videos he broadcasts from the Zionist Pegasus spy program while continuing to spread false and fabricated news about Algeria from his luxurious residence in London.

The terrorist movement uses several social media pages to disseminate its venom, as well as its media arm, represented by the “Al Magharibia” channel, aiming to create strife, confusion, and recruit new sympathizers who are then employed in its sabotage schemes, taking advantage of their social conditions.

In this context, former investigating judge Habib Achi, who had dealings with “Rachad” movement members and recently returned to the country, stated that “the movement tries to lure and deceive young people into its evil purposes.”

He added that after dealing with its members, he realized that they “oppose the Algerian state, not the existing authority,” confirming that the movement attempted to establish contacts with the “MAK” terrorist movement ‘The Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie,’ given their similar destructive goals, despite their formal differences in principles.

The documentary also unveiled the various funding sources relied upon by the movement to execute its schemes, mainly consisting of direct funding from countries hostile to Algeria, like the Makhzen regime, as well as revenues from social media platforms and commercial transactions through the “PayPal” website.

Furthermore, the documentary shed light on the scams and thefts experienced by members of the Algerian diaspora abroad who fell into the trap of “Rachad,” where donations allegedly earmarked for the defense of what they called “prisoners of conscience” were diverted to the benefit of movement leaders like Mohamed Larbi Zitout, who owns a group of properties and businesses in England, and Amir Boukhars (Amir Dz) who owns several real estate properties in the French capital, Paris.

The documentary emphasized that thanks to the awareness of the Algerian people and their solidarity with their army and trust in state institutions, the way was cut off for traitors and mercenaries. Also, due to the policy of the extended hand launched by the Algerian state, those who realized their mistake and understood that their future lies within their homeland and not with foreign embassies, are welcomed back, as confirmed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s instructions in the context of national reconciliation.

This detailed documentary provides a comprehensive view of the insidious activities of the “Rachad” movement and its affiliates, highlighting Algeria’s resolute stance against terrorism and foreign interference in its internal affairs.

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