Sant'Egidio platform
Encyclopedia
The Sant'Egidio Platform of January 13, 1995 was an attempt by most of the major Algeria
n opposition parties to put an end to the Algerian Civil War
, which had begun in 1992 as a military coup d'état
overturned election results that would have brought the Islamic Salvation Front
(FIS), an Islamic party, to power. It was brokered by the Catholic
Community of Sant'Egidio
in Italy, and is sometimes also known as the Rome
Platform or the Rome Accords. Its main importance lay in the unity displayed by the major opposition parties, and the fact that the FIS (through its exile
leadership) was found among the signatories; the party had been banned and dissolved at the time of the coup.
The platform, which demanded a reinstatement of democracy
, independent investigations of human rights
abuse following the coup, the repeal of the dissolution of the FIS, and national reconciliation, was signed by:
The original text of the accords, in French
, can be found here or here (with a list of participants).
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...
n opposition parties to put an end to 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...
, which had begun in 1992 as a military coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
overturned election results that would have brought the Islamic Salvation Front
Islamic Salvation Front
The Islamic Salvation Front is an outlawed Islamist political party in Algeria.-Goals:...
(FIS), an Islamic party, to power. It was brokered by 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"...
Community of Sant'Egidio
Community of Sant'Egidio
The Community of Sant'Egidio is a Christian community that is officially recognized by the Catholic Church as a "Church public lay association". It claims 50,000 members in more than 70 countries...
in Italy, and is sometimes also known as the Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
Platform or the Rome Accords. Its main importance lay in the unity displayed by the major opposition parties, and the fact that the FIS (through its exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
leadership) was found among the signatories; the party had been banned and dissolved at the time of the coup.
The platform, which demanded a reinstatement of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, independent investigations of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuse following the coup, the repeal of the dissolution of the FIS, and national reconciliation, was signed by:
- Ali Yahiya, representing the Algerian Human Rights League (LADDH).
- Abdelhamid MehriAbdelhamid MehriAbdelhamid Mehri , is an Algerian resistance fighter, soldier and politician.Born in a destitute family in Constantine, Abdelhamid Mehri joined the Parti du peuple Algérien at an early age. He studied in Tunisia, and developed contacts with the nationalist Neo Destour party...
, representing the National Liberation FrontNational Liberation Front (Algeria)The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.- Anticolonial struggle :...
(FLN). - Hocine Aït AhmedHocine Aït AhmedHocine Aït Ahmed is an Algerian politician....
and Ahmed Djeddai, representing the Socialist Forces FrontSocialist Forces FrontThe Socialist Forces Front , , is a social democratic and secularist, political party in Algeria. It was formed in 1963 by Hocine Ait Ahmed...
(FFS). - Rabah Kebir and Anwar HaddamAnwar HaddamAnwar Haddam was a leader of the Islamic Salvation Front , a Islamist party in Algeria, and was elected to parliament on a FIS ticket in 1991 - Algeria's first multiparty elections...
, representing the Islamic Salvation FrontIslamic Salvation FrontThe Islamic Salvation Front is an outlawed Islamist political party in Algeria.-Goals:...
(FIS). - Louisa HanouneLouisa HanouneLouisa Hanoune is the head of Algeria's Workers' Party . In 2004, she became the first woman to run for President of Algeria. Hanoune was imprisoned by the government several times prior to the legalization of political parties in 1988...
, representing the Workers PartyWorkers' Party (Algeria)The Workers' Party is a Trotskyist political party in Algeria, closely linked with the Workers' Party of France. The party is led by Louisa Hanoune....
(PT). - Ahmed Ben BellaAhmed Ben BellaMohamed Ahmed Ben Bella was a soldier and Algerian revolutionary, who became the first President of Algeria.-Youth:...
and Khaled Bensmain, representing the Movement for Democracy in AlgeriaMovement for Democracy in AlgeriaThe Movement for Democracy in Algeria is a political party in Algeria. It is moderately Islamist and boycotted the 2002 elections....
(MDA). - Abdallah DjaballahAbdallah DjaballahSaad Abdallah Djaballah is an Algerian politician and leader of the Movement for National Reform , an Islamist political party that he led in a breakout from the Islamic Renaissance Party , which he had created but lost control over. Djaballah stood for the presidency twice, in 1999 and 2004...
, representing the Islamic Renaissance MovementIslamic Renaissance MovementThe Islamic Renaissance Movement is a moderate Islamist political party of Algeria.In the 2002 elections it received 0.6 percent of the vote and has one member of parliament. In the 17 May 2007 People's National Assembly elections, the party won 3.39% of the vote and 5 out of 389 seats....
(al-NahdaAl-NahdaAl-Nahda was a cultural renaissance that began in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Egypt, then later moving to Ottoman-ruled Arabic-speaking regions including Lebanon, Syria and others...
) party. - Ahmed Ben Mouhammed, representing the Contemporary Muslim Algeria movement (JMC).
The original text of the accords, in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, can be found here or here (with a list of participants).