Martyrs of Atlas
Encyclopedia
On the night of 26–27 March 1996, seven monks from the monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria
, belonging to the Roman Catholic Trappist
Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (O.C.S.O.), were kidnapped in the Algerian Civil War
. They were held for two months, and were found dead on 21 May 1996. The circumstances of their kidnapping and death remain controversial; the Armed Islamic Group
(GIA) claims responsibility for both, but the then French military attaché, retired General Francois Buchwalter, reports that they were accidentally killed by the Algerian army in a rescue attempt, and claims have been made that the GIA itself was a cat's paw
of Algeria's secret services (DRS
).
of Tibhirine and kidnapped seven monks. Two others, in separate rooms, escaped the kidnappers' notice. After the kidnappers left, the remaining monks attempted to contact the police, but found that the telephone lines had been cut. Because of the curfew in force, they had to wait until morning to drive to the police station in Médéa
. On 18 April, the Armed Islamic Group
's communique no. 43 demanded the release of Abdelhak Layada
as the price of the monks' lives. On 30 April, a tape with the voices of the kidnapped monks, recorded on 20 April, was delivered to the French Embassy. On 23 May, the Armed Islamic Group
's communique no. 44 reported that the Armed Islamic Group
had killed the monks on 21 May. The Algerian government announced that their heads had been discovered on May 31; their bodies' whereabouts are unknown. Their funeral Mass
was celebrated in the Catholic
Cathedral of Notre Dame d'Afrique
(Our Lady of Africa), Algiers
on Sunday, June 2, 1996; they were buried in the cemetery of the monastery at Tibhirine two days later.
The surviving monks of Tibhirine left Algeria, and have set up a monastery near Midelt
in Morocco
with help from other Trappist monks.
reported that an anonymous high-ranking Western government official, then based in Algeria and in Finland
at the time of writing, had told them that the kidnapping had been orchestrated by a DRS
-infiltrated GIA group, and that the monks had then been killed accidentally by an Algerian military helicopter attacking the camp where they were being held captive.
In 2009, the retired French general Francois Buchwalter, who was military attache in Algeria at the time, testified to a judge that the monks had accidentally been killed by a helicopter from the Algerian government during an attack on a guerrilla position, then beheaded after their death to make it appear as though the GIA had killed them. Ex-GIA leader Abdelhak Layada
, who was in prison when the monks were killed but was later freed under a national amnesty
, responded by claiming that the GIA had indeed beheaded them after the breakdown of negotiations with the French secret services.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, belonging to the Roman Catholic Trappist
TRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (O.C.S.O.), were kidnapped in the Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
. They were held for two months, and were found dead on 21 May 1996. The circumstances of their kidnapping and death remain controversial; the Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
(GIA) claims responsibility for both, but the then French military attaché, retired General Francois Buchwalter, reports that they were accidentally killed by the Algerian army in a rescue attempt, and claims have been made that the GIA itself was a cat's paw
Cat's paw
Cat's paw is a phrase derived from La Fontaine's fable, "The Monkey and the Cat", referring to a person used unwittingly by another to accomplish his own purposes.Cat's paw or Catspaw may also refer to:* The paw of a cat*Cat's paw...
of Algeria's secret services (DRS
Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité
The Department of Intelligence and Security is the Algerian state intelligence service. Its existence dates back to the struggle for independence.-Formation:...
).
Circumstances
At about 1:15 AM on 27 March 1996, about twenty armed men came to the monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Tibhirine and kidnapped seven monks. Two others, in separate rooms, escaped the kidnappers' notice. After the kidnappers left, the remaining monks attempted to contact the police, but found that the telephone lines had been cut. Because of the curfew in force, they had to wait until morning to drive to the police station in Médéa
Medea
Medea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
. On 18 April, the Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
's communique no. 43 demanded the release of Abdelhak Layada
Abdelhak Layada
Abdelhak Layada , also known as Abu Adlane, was one of the founders of Algeria's militant Islamist group Armed Islamic Group during the Algerian Civil War, and led it after the death of Mohamed Allel ....
as the price of the monks' lives. On 30 April, a tape with the voices of the kidnapped monks, recorded on 20 April, was delivered to the French Embassy. On 23 May, the Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
's communique no. 44 reported that the Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
had killed the monks on 21 May. The Algerian government announced that their heads had been discovered on May 31; their bodies' whereabouts are unknown. Their funeral Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was celebrated in the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Cathedral of Notre Dame d'Afrique
Notre Dame d'Afrique
Notre Dame d'Afrique is a Catholic church that is the basilica of Algiers, Algeria.The basilica was inaugurated in 1872, after fourteen years of construction...
(Our Lady of Africa), Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
on Sunday, June 2, 1996; they were buried in the cemetery of the monastery at Tibhirine two days later.
The surviving monks of Tibhirine left Algeria, and have set up a monastery near Midelt
Midelt
Midelt is a town in central Morocco, in the high plains between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountain ranges. With an estimated population of 44,780, Midelt serves as the commercial center of a large agricultural hinterland. It is also one of Morocco's principal cities for the mining of several...
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
with help from other Trappist monks.
The monks
All seven monks killed were of French nationality. They were: Dom Christian de Chergé, Brother Luc Dochier, Father Christophe Lebreton, Brother Michel Fleury, Father Bruno Lemarchand, Father Célestin Ringeard, and Brother Paul Favre-Miville.Disputes over killers' identity
In 2008, La StampaLa Stampa
La Stampa is one of the best-known, most influential and most widely sold Italian daily newspapers. Published in Turin, it is distributed in Italy and other European nations. The current owner is the Fiat Group.-History:...
reported that an anonymous high-ranking Western government official, then based in Algeria and in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
at the time of writing, had told them that the kidnapping had been orchestrated by a DRS
Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité
The Department of Intelligence and Security is the Algerian state intelligence service. Its existence dates back to the struggle for independence.-Formation:...
-infiltrated GIA group, and that the monks had then been killed accidentally by an Algerian military helicopter attacking the camp where they were being held captive.
In 2009, the retired French general Francois Buchwalter, who was military attache in Algeria at the time, testified to a judge that the monks had accidentally been killed by a helicopter from the Algerian government during an attack on a guerrilla position, then beheaded after their death to make it appear as though the GIA had killed them. Ex-GIA leader Abdelhak Layada
Abdelhak Layada
Abdelhak Layada , also known as Abu Adlane, was one of the founders of Algeria's militant Islamist group Armed Islamic Group during the Algerian Civil War, and led it after the death of Mohamed Allel ....
, who was in prison when the monks were killed but was later freed under a national amnesty
Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
The Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation was a charter proposed by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in an attempt to bring closure to the Algerian Civil War by offering an amnesty for most violence committed in it...
, responded by claiming that the GIA had indeed beheaded them after the breakdown of negotiations with the French secret services.
Further reading
The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love, and Terror in Algeria by John W. Kiser (New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2003).External links
- Martyrs of Atlas
- The Atlas Martyrs, by Dom Donald McGlynn http://liamdevlin.tripod.com/nunraw/atlas.htm
- The Monks of Tibhirine (book site)