A senior intelligence officer was accused of forming a criminal gang, arms trafficking, and committing grave security lapses that led to the In Amenas terrorist attack in 2013. An Algerian military transport plane crashed in the mountains in Oum El Bouaghi, killing 103 passengers; the crash is being blamed on bad weather. Prime Minister Sellal announced Algeria’s support for the creation of AFRIPOL, an organization that would increase cooperation among the police of the African Union countries in confronting terrorism and organized crime, so as to eliminate the need for foreign intervention. Despite joining the UN’s Human Rights Council in January, Algeria has ignored requests from rights organizations to visit the country.
