Within the Algerian military, some officers reportedly point to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visits to Turkey as having raised concerns among senior Algerian military officials.
These officials are said to fear that the Algerian head of state may be seeking inspiration from the model of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who significantly reduced the political influence of the Turkish military and brought security and military institutions under civilian control.
Several observers, however, emphasize a major difference between the situations in Algeria and Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan built his authority through multiple democratic electoral victories and derives his legitimacy from the ballot box.
By contrast, Abdelmadjid Tebboune continues to be portrayed by his critics as a president who came to power with the decisive support of the military establishment following the political crisis triggered by the Hirak protest movement in 2019.
General Abdelkader Aït Ouarabi, better known as “General Hassan,” has left his position as head of the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), Algeria’s main counterintelligence service. His departure, officially announced after only about one year in this strategic post, comes amid heightened tensions at the top levels of Algerian power.
General Hassan, regarded as an experienced officer and reputedly close to the presidential circle, had been recalled to lead the DGSI to replace General Abdelkader Haddad, known as “Nacer El Djinn,” during a period of internal restructuring within the regime’s security and political apparatus.
To replace him, the military high command selected Major General Mounir Zahi, formerly General Hassan’s deputy. His appointment had reportedly been decided as early as December 2025 by the Chief of Staff of the National People’s Army (ANP), General Saïd Chengriha.
According to several sources close to Algerian military circles, this decision is not merely related to an administrative reorganization of the security services. Rather, it reflects General Saïd Chengriha’s determination to reassert full control over the country’s strategic intelligence structures after detecting what he views as efforts to gradually strengthen presidential power around Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
General Hassan’s departure comes only days after that of Boualem Boualem, President Tebboune’s chief of staff and an influential figure in managing sensitive matters involving both civilian and military officials.
For many observers, these successive changes indicate growing mistrust between the presidency and the military establishment.
General Saïd Chengriha is said to have quickly identified these developments and decided to act before certain centers of power shifted decisively toward the presidency.
The replacement of General Hassan by Major General Mounir Zahi is therefore interpreted as a strong signal from the military high command: Algeria’s internal and external intelligence services will remain under the direct authority of the military institution.