News from Algeria

Oil

Sonatrach, the national oil company, is building a new headquarters in Oran; and it’s an impressive building. Americans and Chinese are involved in the process.

Algeria lowered its oil production on October 31 in conformity with recommendations made at the last meeting of OPEC. Algeria will produce 59,000 barrels of oil a day (Le Quotidien d’Oran, 31 October 2006, p. 3).

Terrorism

Another concern in the country is the continuation of terrorist activity. Sunday night, October 29, two truck bombs exploded within ten minutes of each other in two suburbs (Reghaïa and Dergana) of Algiers. Algiers had not seen this type of attack for seven years. Some fear a return to the violence of the dark decade of the 1990s. Others think it is the last throes of the GSPC (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat), largely confined to the mountains of Kabylia, the only terrorist group that did not accept conciliatory provisions of the Charter for Peace and Reconciliation (implemented February 28, 2006). These attacks occurred just before November 1, a national holiday and symbolic date for Algerians (the beginning of the rebellion against the French). It was on November 1, 1954, that the first uprisings against French colonialism began. A rise in terrorist activity took place during Ramadan and as a significant deadline is approaching, the end of a six-month grace period during which armed groups can turn in their weapons and benefit from conditions of amnesty (Le Quotidien d’Oran, 31 October 2006, p. 3).

Tourism

Algeria claims to be trying to develop a tourism industry; but visas are still hard to get for visitors from Europe or the United States. On information for Oran, tourism is listed as one of the city’s primary industries. Yet, I couldn’t find a map of the city.

The number of international visitors to Algeria has grown only ten percent since 2000, according to Le Quotidien d’Oran. The percentage grows to over 20 percent, if the number of expatriate Algerians is taken into consideration. Professionalization and better facilities are needed to improve the tourism industry. Most of the businesspersons expressing an interest in Algerian tourism are from Arab countries (Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia) and the West (Germany, Italy, France, and the United States). When the executive committee of the International Organization of Tourism meets in Algeria next November (2007), Algeria will promote the Sahara as a popular tourist destination.

In terms of the management of tourist facilities, 103 (in 20 wilayas with 5,000 beds) hotels have been closed for not meeting the necessary standards. They have one year to improve conditions, when they will again be inspected. In an effort to create skilled staff and reduce unemployment in the hotel business, tourist agencies will be able to get loans form the National Treasury (Caisse) for Unemployment Insurance. So far, 17 establishments offering training in the hotel business have been set up in southern Algeria (Le Quotidien d’Oran, 31 October 2006, p. 3).

Divorce

Compared to 2005, the number of divorced persons, with or without children, rose considerably in 2006 in Annaba, an eastern Algerian city. Housing, promiscuity, and unemployment head the list of motives for divorce. Many women with children find themselves homeless after divorce. Many find refuge in the Sidi Belaïd Center in the old city of Annaba. Twelve women, separated from their children, also live a life of uncertainty at the center, infested with rodents. While it provides shelter, cleanliness and a healthy atmosphere are inadequate at the house. Algerian Women for Development, headed by Beya Haddad, has proposed the building of a new center, which would welcome divorced and single women in distress. Work has been started. Benefits have been held; but more funds are necessary to complete the project. The El Hana Association, led by Bouchhit Nadia, works to reduce in what ways it can the difficulties of the residents of the center (El Watan, 30 October 2006 [No. 4853], p. 23).

Begging

For the most part, no official statistics have been gathered; but the newspaper, El Watan, reports the growing numbers of beggars who are appearing in Algeria’s large cities. It is a complex situation. Some women, street children, old persons, are truly in need. Others find they can make more on the street in a prime place (especially in a market area) than they can with certain of labor. Others seem to have made a profession of it, tyrannizing the young to work for them and transporting people in vans to work certain areas. Some mothers rent their children to professional beggars. During Ramadan, unattended adolescent boys and girls may go from door to door in the large apartment buildings asking for alms. This year, the zakat (alms tax) was set at 70 dinars (I US dollar). There is thus a distinction between the truly poor and those who fake it. Some of the latter even take to aggression, trickery, and other ruses to extract money from their targets.

One 2006 study of 189 street children (132 boys, 57 girls) in four large wilayas of Algeria found that 33 percent had received no education, 54 percent a primary education, and 13 percent a middle level education. Some of the very young were accompanied by a parent, who also lived on the street. 17 percent of the children were orphans; 44 percent had broken all contact with their parents. 61 percent said they lived from begging, 15 percent from stealing, and 2 percent from prostitution. 20 percent they made their living through paid work. Biskra especially attracts beggars, due to the mildness of its climate, the hospitality of its population, the relative security of the south (El Watan, 20 October 2006 [No. 4853], p. 6).

Education

A report, Education for All 2007, published by UNESCO, points out that the Arab countries have been slow to provide protection for children less than three years of age and assure them an education. UNESCO sets 2015 as a target date to provide education for all the world’s children in this group. The report also indicates that every year in the developing world, more than 10 million children die before the age of five years of illnesses, which could be avoided. Programs combining nutrition, vaccination, health, hygiene, protection, and education could change the situation and contribute to educational success. However, children who have the most need are also those who have the least chance of receiving assistance. Only 16 percent of the Arab states offer pre-school education. Another study shows that the a higher level of pre-school education leads to less repetition of levels in schools and a rise in scholastic achievement. Pre-school protection and education is even more important given the rising number of women entering the work force. In the Arab states, growth in primary education grew only 6 percent, compared to 27 % (1999-2004) in sub-Saharan Africa and 19% (1999-2004) in South Asia. Nearly two-thirds of 181 countries have attained parity for boys and girls in primary education. Disparities to the detriment of girls remain in many countries. Several countries have very low levels of female education (Afghanistan, Chad, Pakistan, Niger, Yemen). Only a third of the 181 countries have attained female-male parity in secondary education. Regarding illiteracy, the rate of illiterate adult remains below 70% in the Arab states, in South and Southwest Asia, and in sub-Saharan Africa. In the world, in general one adult in five is still unable to read or write (El Watan, 27-28 October 2006 [No. 4851], p. 3).

The picture is of the traditional-style Arab home, where I stayed in Marrakech.