Algerian regime's response to riots takes shape

Algerian regime's response to the January 5-9th revolt takes shape. As the uprising of Arab people against their despotic regimes spreads from Tunisia to Egypt, with demonstrations in Yemen, Jordan and Libya and concerns that Morocco may follow suit, so the response of the Algerian regime to its own nationwide revolt is beginning to unfold.

The Algerian opposition movement Rachad has likened its objective of overthrowing the regime by peaceful means to breaking through four concentric rings of defence. The first ring collapsed almost immediately as the government made concessions on food prices – the 'final straw' that galvanised the nationwide rioting.

The second ring looks like collapsing in the next few days. This will involve the removal of Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, with the possible lifting of the State of Emergency that has now been in force for 19 years. It may also be accompanied by the freeing of some or all of the detained rioters, and giving greater freedom to the media in general.

The replacement of Ouyahia, barring any sudden change of circumstance within the regime, looks likely to occur imminently, with our sources suggesting possibly this weekend. Beyond that, none of the other concessions are assured.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates

Algeria: Cevital in the firing line

Going on the offensive, the Algerian regime appears to have started a campaign against Cevital, the most dominant player in the Algerian private sector. The group controls 60–65 per cent of the cooking oil market and over 70 per cent of the sugar market, and is thus an easy target. In the wake of the riots, trade minister Mustapha Benbada began “demanding” that Cevital comply with the new pricing regulations introduced by the government on 8 January.

There was some confusion about the government's position, with El Watan reporting that “Benbada's strange order to Cevital” was inconsistent. “The same people who yesterday accused the group of raising prices, today accuse it of lowering them too much.” Cevital boss Issad Rebrab defended himself in Liberté, a newspaper which he owns, saying that he “strictly applied the agreement of 9 January”. The deal specified consumer prices of AD90 for a kilo of sugar and AD600 for a five litre container of olive oil, he argued, adding that Cevital has introduced lower prices to leave a margin for retailers.

The row may be in part a diversionary tactic on the part of the government, an attempt to deflect blame away from the state and towards the private sector, as well as an attempt by the regime to claw back market control for these two basic foods. There are those in the regime, particularly in President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's entourage who are keen to chip away at Rebrab's empire. As the newspaper Maghreb Emergent points out, Rebrab's relations with the president have been shaky for the past three to four years. The industry chief refused to support Bouteflika's bid for a second term in power in 2004.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.


© 2010 Menas Associates

DRS besmirches another Ali Mecili

The case of Ali Mecili was covered in Algeria P&S - 03.09.10. Mecili was an opponent of the Algerian regime who escaped to France in 1966 where he then practised as a lawyer and married a French woman before being assassinated in Paris in 1987, allegedly by a DRS operative named Amellu. Mecili's name recently came back into prominence because of the much-publicised Hassani case at the end of August.

This week, Hicham Aboud, the DRS' 'special envoy' in France, responsible for the infiltration of opposition movements to Algeria, wrote a long and vicious smear of Mecili's memory. “Mecili,” said Aboud, “has been described as a political opponent of Algeria assassinated by Algeria's secret services.” That, Aboud said, was not true. Rather, Mecili had French nationality through his father's grandfather. He was, in fact, a 'harki' (one of the most insulting terms that can be used against an Algerian).

“Ali”, said Aboud, “is the name of a Harki. He was married to a French woman, his children have French first names and French nationality. It is true that he participated in the Algerian revolution, like many other Frenchmen who followed the example of Maurice Audin ...”

[Ed. Audin was a French mathematics lecturer at Algiers University and a member of the Algerian Communist Party who threw in his lot with the Algerian cause. He died in June 1957 while being tortured by one of Jacques Massu's specialist torturers, a lieutenant and graduate of St Cyr, nicknamed 'the doctor' because he liked to use a scalpel on his victims.]

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates