Algeria’s so-called “black decade” took place between 1991 and 2002 and was marked by clashes between security forces and certain armed Islamist groups. During that period, it is estimated that political violence resulted in 200,000 deaths and 20,000 disappearances. People were abducted from their homes and workplaces or in public places in Algeria’s major cities: Algiers, Constantine and Oran. The police, security services and gendarmerie led these actions. Since 1998, the Algerian press has reported on a dozen mass graves.
Between 2011 and 2016, EAAF provided support for investigative work on human rights violations, which was carried out by the Euro-Mediterranean Federation against Enforced Disappearances (FEMED) in Algeria. These activities included training sessions in Algiers for federation members from various countries and training for forensic professionals in both Argentina and Algeria.
