Algerian anger at Bastille Day celebration particpation

Further illustration of what many people now believe is part of the price Algeria is having to pay for France’s support for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s fourth mandate surrounded Algeria’s participation in the 14 July Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.

Those not versed in the often-unfathomable complexities of Franco-Algerian relations might have viewed France’s invitation to Algeria to participate in this year’s Bastille Day celebrations as a timely gesture towards improving relations between the two countries.

However, as news leaked out that Bouteflika had accepted the invitation and that three Algerian military officers and the Algerian flag might be present at the Champs-Élysées celebrations, there were expressions of anger from both France’s far right and almost the entire Algerian political spectrum.

At the heart of the anger in Algeria are the established position of almost all political leaders and, above all, the veterans of Algeria’s War of Independence that Algeria would never accept such an invitation until France, the former colonial power, apologies for the crimes it committed in Algeria.

After many days of debate within the local media, with almost total opposition to any participation, Bouteflika’s decision to send an envoy, in the person of Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi, has united, albeit perhaps temporarily, almost all political parties and strands against Bouteflika. Particularly dangerous for the presidential circle, however, is that many of Bouteflika’s supporters have now come out against him. With his popularity already at an all-time low, one can only wonder what threats or promises the Elysée may have made him.

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

© 2014 Menas Associates

Algeria to build its first nuclear plant by 2020

Algeria's Energy and Mines Minister Youcef Yousfi has said that the country will build a nuclear power plant to meet its long-term energy needs. During a briefing at the National People's Assembly (APN) Yousfi said: "We may have to resort to nuclear power in the long-term, we have no other alternative," adding “Algeria must prepare for this choice”.

The minister said that it will take up to 15 years of study to prepare for "the construction of a first power plant operating with nuclear”. He noted that Algeria has set a 2020 target date for the construction, after which it plans to build a new station every five years.

Algeria is prone to earthquakes some of them major, including one of 6.8 magnitude which killed more than 2,000 people east of Algiers in May 2003. In view of the recent events in Japan, Algeria's decision may prove to be a contentious one.

In related news, Iran has said it is keen to boost economic ties with Algeria and to assist the North African state in its industrial development. In a meeting, on Monday 28th March, Algeria's Minister of State for North Africa Abdelkader Messahel and Iran's Ambassador to Algeria Mahmoud Mohammadi discussed technical and development projects that could potentially bolster bilateral trade.

Sources: AFP, Bloomberg, Ennahar, Press Tv

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

Algeria to set up a state mining group

Algeria's Energy and Mines Minister Youcef Yousfi has said that Algeria is going to set up a mining group to consolidate state-owned assets. The move is part of a bigger plan by the government to give a greater role to domestic firms and create a state monopoly in the most lucrative sectors of the economy.

"We will create a mines group. There is a huge development programme for this sector," said Yousfi during a conference in Algiers.

GMA Resources and Terramin Australia are two of the biggest foreign investors in Algeria, since Algiers opened the sector to foreign investment in 2001. The country's mining sector is largely undeveloped, but it is potentially attractive to foreign investors due to the country's proximity to European markets.

In the last couple of years, Algeria has launched several licensing rounds inviting foreign firms to acquire mining concession in partnership with domestic companies. The Algeria law stipulates that the stake a foreign company can hold in any one investment is limited at 49 per cent.

Source: Reuters

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

Algeria: More flexibility promised as licensing round opens

Nearly 80 companies have prequalified in terms of financial resources and technical aptitude for the forthcoming licensing round. Agence Nationale pour la Valorisation des Ressources en Hydrocarbures (Alnaft) received three new demands for prequalification.

In total 45 companies took part in the opening meeting of the round at the Hotel Sheraton in Algiers in late September. Energy and mines minister Youcef Yousfi set an optimistic tone at the meeting. He said the process of discussion with Sonatrach's partners had “permitted the identification of a certain number of points which could be improved” in the licensing round procedures.

Several suggestions from IOCs had been adopted, for example the selection of areas to be included in the round, he added, encouraging interested companies to maintain the process of dialogue which he said was fundamental to Sonatrach's relationship with its partners.

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

© 2010 Menas Associates