1967 Algerian coup attempt

1967 Algerian coup d'état attempt
Date	14–16 December 1967
Location	Algeria
Result	Coup suppressed
Belligerents
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria	Algerian People's National Army rebels
Commanders and leaders
Houari Boumédiène	Tahar Zbiri

The 1967 Algerian coup attempt was a failed attempt to overthrow the Algerian President Houari Boumédiène by the Chief of Staff of the Algerian People's National Army, Colonel Tahar Zbiri, from 14 to 16 December 1967.^[1] The coup was quickly suppressed by the use of air power against the rebel tank columns.^[2]

Coup

There had been a power struggle in 1966–1967 between Boumédiène and former guerilla leaders and Marxists. Colonel Tahar Zbiri had been involved in the 1965 coup that ousted Ahmed Ben Bella and was rewarded with a promotion to chief of staff, however him and Boumédiène drifted apart over the years.^[3]

On the night of 14 December 1967, Colonel Zbiri marched on Algiers from Chlef with army troops and two tank battalions, and was mainly supported by Chaoui people. Gendarmerie units blocked Zbiri's forces at the Bou Roumi river near the towns of El-Affroun and Mouzaïa.^[3] The air force bombed the rebels near the town of El-Affroun causing sizable civilian casualties, where the wreckage of tanks was still to be seen until the end of the 1970s.^[4]

On 15 December, president Boumédiène fired Colonel Zbiri and announced in a national broadcast: "Irresponsible elements have committed an act of clear disobedience which threatens to plunge the country into a dangerous adventure. In consequence I have decided to directly assume the command of the national popular army". On 16 December, the government announced that the last of the rebel soldiers surrendered and "misled" troops returned to their barracks. Zbiri and other rebel commanders fled into the mountains.^[3]

Aftermath

No major internal challenges arose within the government following the 1967 coup attempt. Following the coup, Boumédiène emphasized collective leadership while asserting his own direct and uncontested authority in Algeria.^[5]^[6] He acted swiftly to eliminate his rivals from positions of influence, establishing a politically stable government.^[2] He dissolved the general staff and took on numerous staff responsibilities to strengthen his control over the Algerian army. While he excluded ANP leadership from daily policy making, he maintained close relationships with army commanders, whose support was crucial for his political dominance.^[7] In April 1968, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Boumédiène.^[4]