Algeria - The African Mirror

Nov

2020

Algerian voters shun referendum aimed at ending political crisis

HAMID OULD AHMED and LAMINE CHIKHI FEWER than one in four Algerian voters took part in Sunday's constitutional referendum, officials said, despite government efforts to encourage high turnout as part of a strategy to turn the page on last year's political unrest. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the powerful military had presented the new constitution as a sign that they had addressed the causes of public anger that prompted mass weekly protests for more than a year. The referendum result will be announced on Monday at 10 a.m. (0900 GMT). However, Sunday's turnout of only 23.7%, according to the election body,…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Suspected jihadist freed by Mali is detained in Algeria

NEWS

ALGERIA’S defence ministry has announced that it has detained a suspected jihadist militant who was released this month by Mali as part of a prisoner swap, underscoring its fears of insecurity in the Sahel region. Mustapha Derar, an Algerian national, was arrested in Tlemcen after security forces tracked him from his crossing of the border into Algeria, the ministry said in a statement. Derar had joined a terrorist group in 2012, it added. Mali, grappling with an Islamist insurrection, released scores of prisoners including suspected militants early this month, days before jihadists freed four hostages: a Malian politician, a French…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Anger in Algeria over rape, murder of 19-year-old woman

NEWS

BAN BARKAWI THE rape and murder of a young woman has sparked anger in Algeria, with women's rights activists demanding to know why she was not better protected after her mother said the suspect in her killing had attacked her before. The 19-year-old victim was lured into an abandoned gas station where she was raped, beaten until she was unconscious and then set alight, according to a statement from a court in Bourmedes, the northern Algerian province where she died. In a video circulated on social media, her mother said the victim had been raped by the same man in…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Algeria takes further measures to ease coronavirus restrictions

COVID-19

ALGERIA will take further steps to ease the coronavirus lockdown including reopening schools and universities after a fall in the number of daily injections, the government said on Sunday. Under the new measures, schools and universities will reopen on October 21 and November 22 respectively, the government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting. The North African country has eased restrictions relating to the novel coronavirus, including resuming public transportation as well as reopening some businesses, mosques and leisure venues. It has so far reported 52,136 cases and 1,760 deaths. - Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Adrar’s problems exposed as Sahara Desert heats up

ENVIRONMENT

MAHER MEZAHI and ZAHRA RAHMOUNI THE Sahara desert is synonymous with Algeria. It covers more than 80% of its national territory and is responsible for producing most of its wealth through agriculture, natural gas and crude oil. Those populations living in the deepest corners of the desert and most in need of help paradoxically remain the most marginalised. Nowhere is that truer than in the province of Adrar, where it is not uncommon for temperatures to exceed 50°C during the infernal summer months. Local meteorologists have even drawn what they call the “triangle of fire” between the provincial cities of…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Algeria upholds conviction of journalist; rights groups fear new crackdown

MEDIA FREEDOM

AN Algerian appeals court has upheld the conviction of a journalist in what rights campaigners called a new crackdown on dissent aimed at preventing the revival of mass protests that toppled veteran ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika last year. The Hirak popular protest movement brought thousands of Algerians to the streets for weekly demonstrations, which continued even after Bouteflika quit and a new president was elected in December. A judicial source and a rights group that defends detainees said the appeals court had upheld the conviction of journalist Khaled Drareni on charges which include threatening national unity and "inciting unarmed gatherings". His…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Algeria’s main lab anchors COVID-19 response

COVID-19

Heroes of WHO Africa’s COVID-19 response WHEN a sample sent to the referral laboratory in the capital Algiers gave a positive result, the Ministry of Health announced Algeria’s first COVID-19 case on 26 February, becoming the second African country to confirm the virus. Since then, dozens of people have caught the infection. Unlike years past, it now takes just two hours to analyse such specimen. In addition to speed, the laboratory is also striving to ensure testing integrity – an important cog in the efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19. Sample collection, transportation and analysis are critical steps in…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Algeria to allow private banks, airlines, sea transport firms

BUSINESS

HAMID OULD AHMED ALGERIA will allow its private sector to set up banks as well as air and sea transport companies for goods and passengers to reduce spending, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has announced. The move is part of wider reforms by the OPEC member to cope with financial problems caused by a sharp fall in energy export revenues, the main source of state funding for the North African country. Elected in December 2019, Tebboune wants to encourage private investors and improve the investment climate in an effort to develop the non-energy sector and reduce reliance on oil and gas. "I…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Algerian court jails journalist three years

MEDIA FREEDOM

AN Algerian court has sentenced a journalist and activist to three years in prison on charges of harming national unity, a rights group that defends detainees said. The court in the capital, Algiers, also handed a four-month jail sentence to two other activists for the same charges, according to the National Committee for the Release of Detainees. Justice Ministry officials could not be reached for comment. The sentences against journalist Khaled Drareni and activists Samir Benlarbi and Slimane Hamitouche are linked to protests that toppled President Abdelaziz Bouteflika last year. The protests broke out in February 2019 to reject Bouteflika's…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Algeria eases more coronavirus restrictions, including travel curbs and curfew

COVID-19

ALGERIA will further ease its coronavirus lockdown, including shortening an overnight curfew and lifting some travel curbs, the government has announced. In addition, large mosques will be allowed to reopen, along with beaches, entertainment venues, hotels, restaurants and cafes. The North African country has recorded 34,155 coronavirus infections, with 1,282 deaths. The new measures include lifting a travel ban on 29 provinces from Aug. 9 until the end of the month. During that period, a curfew will be shortened and will run from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. from the current 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., the government said. Mosques…