The northwestern province of Sidi Bel Abbes is the mirror of what is occurring across the entire country as social unrest escalates amid the political gridlock in Algiers. Various protest actions have been occurring since 4 May 2019 in different municipalities of the province, highlighting the complete disconnect between the government (both central and local) and the populations. In the Bouaiche region, a lingering housing crisis has reached its peak and violence could erupt as hundreds of angry protesters have been complaining on 5 May 2019 about what they consider a “falsified list of social housing beneficiaries.” They are putting pressure on local and county authorities to cancel the distribution of the social housing units, claiming lack of transparency and fairness in the process. The day before, on 4 May 2019, the residents of Belarbi locked the main access to the town hall headquarters calling on the local authorities to revive the development projects that have been dormant for some time. They also protested in the streets against what they see is the marginalization of their community in getting social-economic infrastructure in their region. Similar incidents have affected several communities over the past week, including Hassi Daho, Amarna, Ben Brahim Mestfa and Hassi Zahana. In these towns, the protestors have been erecting walls with bricks and cement to block the access to the town headquarters, a method that is starting to generalize as part of a wider protest movement across the country’s localities. In the capital of Sidi Bel Abbes province, protest actions have escalated this week, with taxi drivers striking and housing applicants protesting the lack of progress in delivering their housing units on time.
The Wall of Shame
A new method of protest against local authorities appears to be favored by angry residents of several towns in Sidi Bel Abbes. It consists of erecting a wall in front of the entry gates of the town halls using bricks and cement to prevent mayors and other officials from entering the building. The phenomenon started about three weeks ago and seems to be adopted by several towns. Last week the community of Hassi Zahana, in the Benbadis Daira (country), local town folks started to erect their wall but decided to stop after they heard the mayor resigned as the result of their action. Another town, Hassi Dahou saw its town hall completely blocked by a concrete wall built overnight. Anger reached its peak in this small town due to a shortage of housing, jobs, a clinic and a high school. Residents of Makedra, another town in Aïn-el-Berd county have gathered to begin constructing a wall for the same purpose. Locals have already brought cement, bricks and water and say they are ready “to build.” This phenomenon is spreading elsewhere in the province and could see other regions in the country use it as well, as a form of protest. In Dhaya and Makerda, tension has been growing over similar problems of weak socio-economic development. These examples are indicative of local governments facing tremendous pressure and mayors are unable to address grievances as long the central government lacks legitimacy.
Rejection of Government Decrees Hits Household Budgets and Can Backfire Against Central Government
Anger is not just directed at local governments. The central government headed by Prime Minister Bedoui is facing unprecedented challenges as disobedience is permeating the public sector. Such state of affairs is best illustrated through the ongoing price increases in this month of Ramadan. Despite a government decree establishing a ceiling for food prices in Algeria, retailers and merchants have defied the law, raising prices to unprecedented levels as Ramadan starts without any concern for the reaction of the authorities. In Oran, just like anywhere else in the country, the prices of fruits, vegetables, grains, meats and other products have been on an upward trajectory, negatively affecting household budgets and risking to further escalate political tension during the ongoing transition period. Sweet peas have now reached the unprecedented DZD 140 per kilo. Tomatoes, which are produced in abundance in southern provinces, are sold in some Oran markets at 150 DA, even though Oran’s biggest wholesale market in El-Kerma shows a maximum price of DZD 80 per kilo. Across the country, despite promises by the central government that speculative practices will be tamed in this month of Ramadan, consumers are witnessing alarming price gouging that can only be the works of speculators considering the abundance of supply on the wholesale markets and at the source.
A big part of the problem is caused by the political deadlock in Algiers. Stakeholders and large swaths of the population no longer see the authority of the central state as legitimate, and in the case of food retail market, vendors and merchants are completely ignoring the directives from the Algerian Ministry of Commerce, in charge of enforcing food price ceilings and fighting price gouging. Retailers in the capital Algiers and elsewhere are simply disregarding government warnings on prices. Not only the price ceilings have been shattered but also, in some markets, vendors do not even post their prices, going against the law. Price checks show the extent of the price gouging taking place in Algiers markets. Potatoes are now priced at DZD 65 per kilo, although the ministry of commerce ceiling does not allow more than DZD 45. Onions are sold at DZD 100 per kilo a DZD 40-difference with the government price ceiling. Tomatoes are going for DZD 160, versus a government ceiling of DZD 90. These are only examples on how the retail sector no longer abide by any form of enforcement, causing more problems not only to households but also to the current interim government, which appears weak, isolated and unable to effect change.
To make things worse, not only vendors are ignoring the central authorities, but state employees are even rebelling against them. Indeed, one of the causes of this troubling situation is the unwillingness of price inspectors to enforce existing regulation. Commerce inspectors and controllers have organized a protest sit-in in front of the headquarters of the Trade Directorates in several provinces such as Algiers, Chlef, Mostaganem, Laghouat and M’Sila refusing to deploy on the ground to perform price checks and enforce the price ceiling. They said their strike will continue until 15 May 2019 and may go beyond that date if their demands are not met. The Inspectors also said they do not recognize the Ministry of Commerce due to “its illegitimacy” as a government entity.
The situation looks grim in Algeria, largely as a result of a central government unwilling to take drastic measures to exit the current crisis. The country’s top leadership, in particular Interim President Bensalah, Prime Minister Bedoui, and national assembly president Bouchareb, must resign and agree with a transition period that is led by a triumvirate of independent personalities. They must relinquish their insistence on holding elections on 4 July and allow time for the triumvirate to organize the appropriate transition. Rejecting these steps demanded by the streets will only exacerbate the political crisis in Algeria, and that will not be in no one’s advantage.
