A Spanish newspaper has confirmed that Algerian General Abdelkader Haddad, known as “Nacer el Jin,” managed to evade security surveillance and flee to the Spanish coast in mid-September as an undocumented migrant, an incident that has sparked widespread debate about the internal conflicts within the Algerian military institution.
The newspaper “El Confidencial” reported that Haddad departed aboard a speedboat on the night of September 18-19, before reaching the Alicante coast “like any Algerian migrant.” It indicated that the general chose to escape after learning that a plot against him was imminent and that his death would be presented as a “suicide.”
Observers of Algerian affairs have linked General Haddad’s escape to a fierce power struggle among senior army generals regarding who will govern Algeria after President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who has become, according to these observers, merely a “puppet” in the hands of the military establishment.
Haddad previously held the position of Director General of Internal Security (DGSI) before being relieved of his duties four months ago and was transferred between the prisons of Blida and Béchar. He was then placed under house arrest in a villa in the Dali Ibrahim neighborhood of the capital while awaiting trial, with no announcement of the charges against him.
The escape has triggered extensive reactions across social media, while Algerian authorities have not issued any official comment. French reports indicated unprecedented security alertness on September 18 and 19 in the capital and its outskirts, including the establishment of checkpoints, vehicle searches, and the closure of major roads, along with helicopter patrols that lasted for hours.
