This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
On July 9, 2019, Algeria's interim president, Abdelkader Bensalah, appealed for a national dialogue to move the country out of its current political impasse.
The crisis was triggered by popular demonstrations calling for the departure of then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had been in power for over 20 years and was in poor health.
Under Bouteflika's leadership, Algeria experienced a semblance of social peace, but the lack of dialogue was a major issue. The country's political scene has always been dominated by military men, former members of the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN), who fought for independence from France.
After independence in 1962, the country was ruled by colonels, except for brief spells, and soon it was engulfed in a bloody insurrection that committed horrific acts against unarmed civilians.
Despite Bouteflika's diplomatic dexterity, he failed to establish a culture of dialogue in his own country. The system grew old with him, and some of the generals on show today look like they fought against the French.
It was not his fault; what is not used atrophies, and that is how humans lost the use of their tails. The ability to dialogue can be sharpened only by dialogue.
A lesson may be drawn from the dramas we are witnessing in Africa: do not think of dialogue only when you are already deep in conflict. A prudent individual gets up from bed feeling good and calls their physician to ask for a check-up and advice on how to maintain that good feeling.
As an African ruler, take heed and encourage dialogue before you find yourself in Bensalah's pitiful situation.
