Algeria: More self-immolations

There were at least two or possibly three further attempts at self-immolation last weekend. One of them was a woman from Bechar who was following a man, her father, the previous week who has now reportedly died.

These latest two were in Souk Ahras where the man was excluded from social housing. The reasons for the second case, a woman in the El Tarf region (700 km east of Algiers) are not clear. She has 60 per cent burns and is in the Annaba Hospital.

On Friday 1st July, a 17 year-old youth tried to immolate himself in front of the police station at Theniet el Had in the Tissemsilt region (280 km SW of Algiers). Again, the media explanation was not very clear.

Since January, when attempts at self-immolation in Algeria began to become commonplace, El Watan has now recorded at least 60 attempts. That is an average of more than two a week. The number of fatalities is unknown.

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

© 2011 Menas Associates