[Onthebarricades] ALGERIA: Protests and unrest in Berber region, prison

[Andy]

http://www.algeria-watch.org/en/articles/2008/confrontations.htm


In the wake of burying the 7 haragas in Bibane Mesbah

Confrontations between dwellers and Gendarmerie forces 
El Khabar, 10 april 2008 

Bibane Mesbah village has witnessed yesterday confrontations between youth and law order forces following manifestations led in the wake of burying 7 illegal migrants drowned in Arzew coasts.
However, Home Affairs Minister denied the existence of any judicial gap in terms of illegal migration by see, saying the Algerian Law bans the exit of any citizen to another territory without owning required documents and visa.
Demonstrators in Bibane Mesbah village, Tiaret province have cut off the national road n 23, before the arrival of gendarmerie forces who managed dispersing protestors and reopening the road for traffic.
The dwellers told El Khabar "instead authorities come to condole us; they have sent 200 gendarmes with cop-dogs to suppress us." However, 220 gendarmerie elements have surrounded the poor village, chasing and arresting about 10 youth.
Furthermore, sources close to the investigation being opened on the drowning illegal migrants in Arzew coast said the illegal migrants were likely drowned because the boat they rode did not support their weight; or because the boat crashed on a trade ship and sunk in the deep sea, regarding wounds noticed on bodies of the drowned victims. It is worth mentioning that coast guards have not found yet any piece of the boat, despite intensive searches.
On another side, Home Affairs Minister, Noureddine Yazid Zehouni denied yesterday the existence of any judicial gap in terms of sanctions that should be inflicted to illegal migrants by sea in case they are arrested.
Mr. Zerhouni told El Khabar: "the Algerian law bans people from travelling without required document or holding a visa," denying statements made by some jurists and lawyers while saying there is no clear acts sentencing directly illegal migrants with 6 to one year prison.
He further made allusion to the elaboration of new preventive measures dealing with illegal migration blight, saying the issue is to be treated outside the law on conditions of entry and movement of foreigners in Algeria.



10-04-2008
By M.R & L.B/ Translation A.A


http://www.algeria-watch.org/en/articles/2008/truncheons.htm


3 days strike repercussions: Truncheons to disperse independent trade unions representatives
El Khabar, 16 April 2008 

Law and order forces have pushed back the public service non affiliated trade unions' representatives yesterday, while being prevented with violence from rallying near the Government headquarter.

The security services have found difficulties stopping a rally to which the independent trade unions have called for, after the 3-days strike launched by education, health, and higher education sectors non affiliated unions. They have protested against the new salary scale. The protesters have been stopped by the security barrier formed by Law and order forces managing blocking the way leading to the Government headquarters, while dispersing them with truncheons. In this regard, security services have seized the protesters' banners on which slogans calling the Government opening dialogue channels have been written, while many of them have been beaten and brought to Police Stations. The national league of human rights protection has condemned the conduct of the police, emphasizing that the Constitution guarantees the trade unions freedoms. Moreover, the independent trade unions have agreed creating new trade unions in which all public service independent trade unions will be embraced.



16-04-2008 By L.K/ A.Y/ B.M/ Translation Section


http://www.algeria-watch.org/pdf/pdf_en/ak_report_cat_2008.pdf

On 18 February 2008, prison guards of El Harrach (Algiers) made the prisoners leave room 1. They wanted to actually deprive them of their common prayer space in the room to install bunk beds for the new inmates. When the prisoners refused to return to the hall in protest, the guards have attached them, handcuffed them, stripped them and beaten them with iron bars and sticks. The same scenario took place with the prisoners of the hall 2. The prison warden attended the se beatings. Altogether 80 prisoners have suffered such repression, and many suffered from various fractures.
 
The lawyers were banned from visiting their clients for 2 days. At the end of the solitary confinement of the detainees, they could see the traces of beatings and other abuses on the bodies of their clients. Some prisoners were locked up with new prisoners in individual cells of 5 square meters, without cover, and were banned from family visits until March 19, 2008. The Algerian press,




http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCris is/idUSL18396918


Arab-Berber clashes shake Algeria town
Sun May 18, 2008 10:39am EDT


By Lamine Chikhi

BERIANE, Algeria, May 18 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Algerian security forces were deployed in the town of Beriane on Sunday to try to end three nights of clashes between Arabs and minority Berbers, the worst urban unrest in the OPEC producer in months.

Residents said two people, including a 67-year-old, man have been killed and dozens made homeless since the disturbances involving rival gangs of hooded young men broke out in this north Saharan town of about 35,000 on Thursday evening.

"They burn our houses, steal and kill. The hatred has made them blind," Slimane Baaziz, 51, a member of the Mozabite Berber community, said of his Arab neighbours.

"They hate Arabs. These are criminals. They want to burn and kill. But we won't let them. We will defend ourselves and respond to their attacks," said Arab resident Noureddine Bkar.

The unrest stems from long-standing local communal rivalries but shares a feature of riots that have erupted in recent months in other towns due to economic grievances -- the enthusiastic and often violent participation of unemployed youths.

The intensity of the unrest means that Beriane is likely to be seen by Algerians as a test for the government's ability to respond to social tensions at a time of growing national discontent over unemployment and lack of housing.

Hundreds of helmeted police and paramilitary gendarme reinforcements backed by water canon were entering the town to prepare for possible further trouble on Sunday evening.

Provincial governor Yahia Fehim told Reuters: "The town is in turmoil, but it is controllable."



PETROL BOMBS

Homes and kiosks ransacked by youths throwing stones and petrol bombs on Saturday night lay in smoking ruins in the warren-like residential districts of Baba Saad and Kaf Hamouda.

Ruins of 10 burned shops could be seen in the town centre.

Mohamed Daghour, a 32-year-old Mozabite, said: "My 67-year-old uncle has been killed -- his body is still in the morgue. They want to exterminate us. We are not afraid, but we are determined to defend our families and our goods."

Trucks evacuated tens of families from riot-hit districts.

Tensions between Mozabites -- the name given to Berbers from the M'zab valley in which Beriane is located -- and Arabs stem from economic, linguistic and religious differences and have boiled over into clashes periodically over the past 20 years.

Residents say Arabs tend to resent traditional Mozabite dominance of private commerce, while Mozabites tend to complain they are excluded from state jobs, particularly senior ones.

Mozabites speak their own Berber language, as do other Berber groups in north Africa, and practise the Ibadi form of Islam rather than Algeria's mainstream Malekite Sunni version.

Berbers are the original inhabitants of north Africa but have had tense ties with Algeria's central government and often complain of discrimination by the Arab majority.

A representative of the Mozabite community in Beriane said: "We need to teach our sons the culture of respecting differences. We are Algerian citizens and the constitution defends our right to freely practise our religion."

The Beriane unrest is so far minor compared to a mass revolt by a different group of Berbers in Kabylie east of Algiers in 2001 in which 100 people were shot dead by security forces.

But street clashes are sensitive in Algeria, a former French colony with a strong history of revolt and where youth riots in 1988 forced the authorities to abandon one-party rule.

Algerians say Arab-Berber ties are a critical issue for the country's search for stability following an undeclared civil war in the 1990s that cost more than 150,000 lives. (Writing by William Maclean; editing by Sami Aboudi)



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