Étoile Nord-Africaine

The Étoile Nord-Africaine or ENA (French for North African Star) was an early Algerian nationalist organization founded in 1926.[1] It was dissolved first in 1929, then reorganised in 1933 but was later finally dissolved in 1937. It can be considered a forerunner of the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN), who fought France during the Algerian War of Independence (1954–62).

Étoile Nord-Africaine
PresidentMessali Hadj
Secretary-GeneralImache Amar
Founded1926
Banned1937
Succeeded byAlgerian People's Party
IdeologyAlgerian nationalism
Algerian independence
Anti-Imperialism
Politics of Algeria

African Union Member State of the African Union Arab League Member State of the Arab League

Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Subdivisions
Elections
Foreign relations
flag Algeria portal

It was formed in 1926 by Nationalist politician Hadj-Ali Abdelkader and called for an uprising against French colonial rule and total independence. It had no armed wing and attempted to organize peacefully. The party maintained links with the Parti Communiste Français (PCF, the French Communist Party) until its dissolution in 1929. Later the Comintern, the PCF declared Algerian national independence premature. In 1925, Messali Hadj joined the ENA and in 1927 participated in the creation of the League Against Imperialism. The reorganisation of the 'Glorieuse ENA' in 1933 elected Messali Hadj President, Imache Amar Secretary General and Belkacem Radjef Treasurer. It also voted for an ambitious plan to lead Algeria to independence by peaceful means. The Étoile was dissolved by the French authorities in 1937 and Messali was imprisoned. It is considered by some the first modern Algerian political party.

In 1937, two months after its dissolution, the leaders of ENA, including Messali, founded the Parti du Peuple Algérien (PPA). This was subsequently dissolved in 1946 and was immediately followed by the creation of the Mouvement pour le Triomphe des Libertés Démocratiques, which later became increasingly militant. Messali distanced himself from the MTLD mainstream when it became involved in the Algerian War of Independence started by the FLN in November 1954.

References
  1. Jansen, Jan C.; Osterhammel, Jürgen (2017). Decolonization: A Short History. Princeton University Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4008-8488-9.

Literature
  • Rachid Tlemcani, State and Revolution in Algeria, Boulder: Westview Press (1986).
  • Benyoucef Ben Khedda, "Les Origines du 1er Novembre 1954", Algiers: Editions Dahlab (1989).
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