The Algerian Civil War, known in Algeria as the Black Decade, was a civil war fought between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups from 11 January 1992 to 8 February 2002. The war began slowly; it initially appeared that the government had succeeded in crushing the Islamist movement, but armed groups emerged to declare violent jihad, and by 1994 violence reached such a level that it appeared the government might not be able to withstand it. By 1996–97 it had become clear that the Islamist resistance had lost its popular support, although fighting continued for several years after this.