With Algeria, German Chancellor Merkel visited a close partner of the country. However, the political stability of the country could be a on-demand – too much of it is linked with the aged head of state Bouteflika.
No, a further term should not expect of the President. After all, Abd al-Aziz Bouteflika is already 81 years old. For almost 20 years, he is in charge of Algeria, the country is now, a time that took him visible. Since a stroke in 2013, he sits in a wheelchair, for years, he is to be seen in Public. In April 2016, the then French Prime Minister Manuel Valls published a photo of a Meeting with the Algerian President. It shows a severely sick person to a conversation, apparently, hardly more capable man. The photo triggered a discussion: Can you show a people in such a state, to the Public at all? Not really. But what if this person holds public office, and then the highest in the country?
There are the kind of questions connected with the hope of political renewal, driving the movement “Mouwatana” (citizenship). “Mouwatana” opposes a fifth term in office, Bouteflika. Also for your trailer go on the road. In order to bring in contrast to Parts of the political tip, which adheres to Bouteflika. The physically-related weakness, the criticism of the “Mouwatana”, responsive to their interests.
The fear of the government
Last weekend protested “Mouwatana”activists in the city of Constantine in the West of the country. They were hampered by the security authorities massively. Some of the leaders of the movement were briefly detained. “This is a clear indication that the government has a morbid fear of it, to see Democrats go on the road,” says Ali Benouari, former Minister of the country, and now one of the faces of Mouwatana.
Ready to the fifth term of office? The Algerian President Abd al Aziz Bouteflika
Yes, the Regime is nervous, at the University of Marburg faculty, political analyst Rachid Ouaissa. Overall, the political freedoms are relatively satisfactory.”We are not dealing with a dictatorship, as in the case of Tunisia prior to the Arab spring or Egypt today.” Of governments of this kind, the Algerian, Ouaissa, vagina in a DW interview. They could afford individual political freedoms to a certain degree.
However, the government, Bouteflika, have depoliticized citizens. Many people would have abandoned it to engage with your political ideas. “The political personnel has lost its credibility to a large extent. This also applies to the political parties – they were disempowered under Bouteflika’s rule in the last 15 years. The consequence of this is that young people move into the Private.”
Harking back to the Religion
Currently, the preparations for an internationally well-acclaimed Ritual run in Algeria. In December, a total of 19 Catholic priests to be beatified were killed during the war between the Algerian government and various Islamist groups, the Islamic salvation front (FIS) in the 1990s. The Pope will not be present at the ceremony, he sent a high level representative.
That it comes to this act, one can see as an expression of the relative ideological relaxation, which has become in the country almost 20 years after the end of the war. The political disappointment have brought large parts of the population to reflect on the Religion, says Rachid Ouaissa. This is a relatively young phenomenon, 1971 in Kabylia in the North-East of Algeria-born Ouaissa. “I grew up in Algeria, which was still dominated largely socialist. Religious clothes, how many people wear them today, I didn’t know at the time.” Unlike at the beginning of the 1990s, today’s Islam is but Essentially apolitical. “Finally, it has forced the Islamist parties never the country a viable political Alternative to offer.”
Escape in Religion? Street scene in Algiers
Algeria is a safe country of origin?
The visit of Chancellor Merkel is also taking place against the Background of the refugee debate in Germany and Europe. In the past years, Germany has deported more and more Algerians to their home country. It 2015 of 57 people, increased their number in 2017, at 504. In the current year, was deported to a report in the “Rheinische Post” that is already about 350 people. Now Algeria wants to take more refugees back.
Nevertheless, Algeria in Germany is not regarded as a safe country of origin. It should be declared as his? The discussion was inappropriate, says Rachid Ouaissa. In the last week, several Internet activists have been arrested. “Besides, the justice of the country, in Parts, works arbitrarily. And yet in the last week, the police acknowledged that people are tortured. As soon as people Express themselves politically, it can be dangerous for you.” Dangerous it is also for refugees from sub-Saharan Africa. Some of them were exposed in the desert.
In the no-man’s land: African refugees are subjected to in the desert, may-2018
The Mediterranean sea is surrounded by conflict
At the beginning of September, the Russian Navy held a large maneuver in the Eastern Mediterranean. 25 ships and 34 aircraft took a report in the French newspaper “Le Monde” according to the maneuver part. This served mainly for the preparation of a possible storm on the mainly jihadist-oriented Anti-Assad rebels in the Syrian city of Idlib.
But the Mediterranean sea is generally more and more into a hub of international military detachments – the Region has become in many Parts of to a private hotspot. The war in Syria has impact on the other Mediterranean countries – including Israel, which sees the presence of Iranian troops as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah in Syria is a threat to. Turkey is trying to their border with Syria jihadists, as well to repel refugees. Further South, in the Sinai, Egyptian security forces and jihadists. Libya threatens to fail as a state. On the North side of the Mediterranean is currently under discussion, the Expansion of the border Agency Frontex. It is to deter refugees from coming to Europe.
Crises and weapons
A whole series of crises so that users are Sharing with each other at the top. The reason why the Americans have increased their naval presence in the Mediterranean, stationed Mainly in Spain. Algeria is from a Western point of view, at least in a relative anchor of Stability. Also in Germany, to a large extent weapons to the country – in 2017, for € 900 million. Thus, Algeria is by far the largest customer for German arms companies, followed by Egypt with around 450 million euros.
These exports were irresponsible, criticized Rachid Ouaissa. “We don’t know who will take over the government, when Bouteflika dies, or if there is a conflict between different Clans. This can lead to very different scenarios.” It is unclear whether Algeria is to have a stable Partner, than he will be traded today.