Bodyguards in Algeria: confidential duty with professional secret

Bodyguard job is sensitive and difficult especially when it comes to eminent figures. Presidential guards are different from bodyguards of some ministers and top officials. There is a difference between the nature of the ministers’ bodyguards themselves as well.

• Ministers’ bodyguards who belong to the police do not live in normal conditions as they must respect “red lines.” They are in charge of decision makers’ lives and any mistake may threaten the State’s safety.
• General Department of National Security is in charge of ensuring the protection and accompany of figures according to the law. The president, prime minister, the so-called sovereignty ministers and the Parliament’s speaker are protected by the presidential security forces.
• Algeria’s Interior Ministry is in charge of organising all aspects of protecting personalities in terms of mechanism, training and surveillance.
• Bodyguards must not carry guns in public places including markets, hotels and coffee shops. They are not allowed to show their arms from cars windows or door neither.
• The maximum number of bodyguards is 5 while there should be two of them at least depending on the importance and function ranking of the accompanied person.
• Ministers’ bodyguards…policemen with equal salaries but different duties
• The bodyguards who are known for their black glasses and classical suits join police training schools before their transfer to the department of personalities protection in Algiers. They are trained there for 3 weeks without being in any speciality. Graduated policemen are integrated on the basis of their body building and individual personality. They are taught close protection techniques.
• The graduated policemen benefit from continuous training. Then, they are distributed in different departments and ministries. They are mostly nominated as officers and police inspectors. They earn their salaries from the General Department of National Security. They get 4,000 Algerian dinars as allowances from ministries or public administrations.
• They must always be on alert
• Bodyguards must be vigilant and accompany the ministers all the time. They are required to keep the professional secrete and can be transferred to other departments in far provinces if they commit “light” errors.