Directorate of Security and Presidential Protection

Directorate General of Security and Presidential Protection
Directorate General of Security and Presidential Protection
Service branches	Republican Guard
Headquarters	Algiers
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	General Belkacem Laribi
Personnel
Active personnel	60

The Directorate General of Security and Presidential Protection (DGSPP) is a close protection unit, administratively attached to the Algerian Republican Guard. It is responsible for the personal and immediate protection of the President of the Algerian Republic and his family.

History

Historically, the Directorate General of Presidential Security and Protection (DGSPP) was a security service attached to the Department of Intelligence and Security (DRS).

In December 1994, four armed GIA terrorists masquerading as DGSPP agents boarded Air France Flight 8969 to hijack it.

Since 2015, the Directorate General of Security and Presidential Protection (DGSPP) has been attached to the Algerian Republican Guard by decision of the President of the Republic.^[1]

The DGSPP is made up of seasoned members of the Special Intervention Group (GIS), which is considered an elite response and protection unit.^[2]

Mission

The DGSPP's mission is :

To ensure the personal and immediate protection of the President of the Republic, his family, certain personalities (former presidents, certain presidential advisers, foreign personalities visiting Algeria) as well as their official residences. This last mission is shared with different entities.^[2]
To implement all the measures necessary for the material organisation and security of the President of the Republic's travels.

Organization

DGSPP has several units that each have their own specialties and can work as much together as alone.

DGSPP has :

Traffic Unit (which takes care of predefining main and emergency routes, which takes care of urban traffic...)
Close Protection Unit (which is placed in the centre of the system, escorts the President on foot and by car and intervenes directly in the event of an incident)
Tactical Response Unit (emergency response to serious incidents, uniformed)
Support Unit (which supports protection and intervention units, including snipers, plainclothes officers, and "back up" agents)
Extraction Unit (which evacuates the President out of the area in the event of a serious incident)
Protection and Surveillance Unit (which is responsible for the protection of El Mouradia Palace, as well as the President's personal residence, and all places where the President is present. They work jointly with the Guard and Protection Units of the Republican Guard and the police or gendarmerie).
Reconnaissance units (are responsible for checking and securing areas where the president will be present both on the national territory and abroad, they work jointly with the Algerian police and gendarmerie and with local police units if they are abroad)
Logistics Unit (responsible for providing the equipment as well as specialized equipment required for the mission)

Equipment

The main weapons in staffing in the service are:

Machine pistols

Assault rifles

Others

Grenades (flash, deafening...)
Smoke grenades
Kevkar protective case
Kevlar protective umbrella

Uniform

For close protection teams:

Suit
Communication headset
Protective goggles
Bullet-proof vest

For Tactical Response and Support Units:

Black jumpsuit
Rangers
Hood
Bullet-proof vest
Tactical vest
Plate carrier vest
Rangers
Gloves
Elbow and knee pads
Communication Headset

Vehicles

Among the vehicles used, some are equipped with a jamming system and others are armoured.

Command

Major General Djamel Kehal Medjdoub (2005-2015)^[3]
General Nacer Habchi (2015-2020)^[4]
General Belkacem Laribi (since 2020)^[5]

References

^ Ali, Khidr. "La sécurité présidentielle sous l'autorité de la garde républicaine". algerie1.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-03-18.
^ ^a ^b Ali, Khidr. "Exclusif : Le patron de la sécurité présidentielle limogé". algerie1.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-03-18.
^ "Général-major Djamel Kehal Medjdoub : l'inélégance faite à l'ange gardien du président | El Watan". elwatan.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
^ liberte-algerie.com. "Le Président met fin aux fonctions des chefs de la DGSPP et de la Garde républicaine: Toute l'actualité sur liberte-algerie.com". liberte-algerie.com/ (in French). Archived from the original on 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
^ "Le Président Tebboune nomme le Général Belkacem Laribi DGSPP". APS (in French). 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2020-04-28.

[1] Ali, Khidr. "La sécurité présidentielle sous l'autorité de la garde républicaine". algerie1.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-03-18.

[:0-2] Ali, Khidr. "Exclusif : Le patron de la sécurité présidentielle limogé". algerie1.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-03-18.

[3] "Général-major Djamel Kehal Medjdoub : l'inélégance faite à l'ange gardien du président | El Watan". elwatan.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.

[4] rte-algerie.com. "Le Président met fin aux fonctions des chefs de la DGSPP et de la Garde républicaine: Toute l'actualité sur liberte-algerie.com". liberte-algerie.com/ (in French). Archived from the original on 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2020-03-18.

[5] "Le Président Tebboune nomme le Général Belkacem Laribi DGSPP". APS (in French). 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2020-04-28.

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