News from Algeria

Algeria

OCTOBER 25

More than 10,000 security agents in the state-run oil and gas Sontrach Corporation are on strike across Algeria to protest working and living conditions. | El-Khabar

OCTOBER 24

In a joint press statement, the prime ministers of Algeria and Egypt said that both their countries are opposed to military intervention in Syria as they believe it would further complicate the crisis. | Al-Hayat

OCTOBER 22

No Algerian political party, including the majority National Liberation Front, has yet been able to field candidates in all electoral districts for the upcoming November local elections. It is expected that very few political parties will ultimately be able to compete in the elections, and the results are expected to be unrepresentative. | Al-Hayat

OCTOBER 19

Head of Algeria’s Worker’s Party Louisa Hanoune said that the government is planning to rig the upcoming November 29 local elections by inserting the names of military personnel multiple times in the voter database. | El Khabar

Hundreds of residents in the eastern Biskra region organized a sit-in in front of the local government building to protest what they say is the current mayor’s attempts to rig upcoming local elections. | El Khabar

Residents and political parties in the southeastern Illizi region threatened to boycott upcoming local elections if the government doesn’t remove military personnel from the lists of registered voters, something they believe would lead to vote rigging. | El Khabar

OCTOBER 18

French President François Hollande has acknowledged that Algerians were massacred during an independence rally in Paris in 1961, the first time a French president had publicly accepted the killings took place. | Guardian

OCTOBER 17

Nearly 1,500 bus drivers continue to be on strike to demand pay increases and an end to layoffs. The strike has paralyzed public transportation in the capital. | KUNA

Residents of the Boukheidra neighborhood in the coastal town of al-Bouny rioted in response to the killing of a seventeen- year-old youth; residents tried to storm the local police station to protest the lack of security they blamed for the attack. Rioters also damaged vehicles and blocked roads. | El-Khabr

OCTOBER 16

Algerian Minister for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel says that his country will not engage in dialogue with Mali terrorists and said that Algeria is willing to use any and all means to root out terrorism from the Sahel. | Magharebia

OCTOBER 15

Algeria plans to cut spending by 11.2 percent in 2013 to reduce its budget deficit, according to a draft budget, after the government spent extra money this year to soothe public grievances and avoid unrest. The government wishes to reduce the deficit from 28 percent of GDP to 18.9 percent of GDP. | Reuters

Algeria’s military is executing special security protocols along its southern border with Mali and has increased its troop presence in anticipation of a possible conflict between Mali rebels and international troops. Algeria has strongly opposed proposals by France to militarily engage Mali’s rebels. | Al-Hayat

OCTOBER 11

Moroccan and Algerian activists staged a symbolic sit-in Sunday October 7 to seek the re-opening of their countries’ shared land border. The protest was held on the sidelines of the second Maghreb Social Forum. | Magharebia

OCTOBER 10

The Algerian Parliament refused to acknowledge an investigation request questioning the legitimacy of the land slide victory of the ruling National Liberation Front Party in the recent parliamentary elections, the request was submitted by Islamist parliamentarians. | Al-Hayat

OCTOBER 9

Mauritania and Algeria have called for dialogue in a bid to reach a political solution to the six-month-old crisis in neighboring Mali, after ruling out sending troops there to battle Islamist militia. | AFP

An Algerian court on Monday handed Yaseen Zaid, a human rights activist, a suspended six-month prison sentence and fined him $130 for verbally assaulting policemen, his lawyers said. | Naharnet

OCTOBER 3

Yacine Zaid, a well-known Algerian blogger and member of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights was beaten after being arrested for insulting a police officer. He was previously detained in Algiers on September 25 after a support rally for another human rights activist on a hunger strike, but later released. | AP

OCTOBER 2

The Algerian government officially recognized the new Islamist TAJ Party; the TAJ Party is the second party to split from the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated Movement for the Society of Peace and gain recognition by the government in recent years. | Al-Hayat

OCTOBER 1

After a decisive defeat in this year’s legislative elections, Islamist parties in Algeria are showing an uncharacteristic lack of enthusiasm for the November 29 local elections and may boycott them. | Magharebia

SEPTEMBER 28

Algeria may have to accept the deployment of West African troops in its crisis-hit neighbor Mali, contrary to its traditional stance against foreign intervention and focus on internal security. | AFP

SEPTEMBER 27

Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal signaled his backing for reconciliation by sending out a call in parliament for terrorist groups to turn themselves in as part of the national reconciliation plan. | Magharebia

SEPTEMBER 26

Algeria’s Trade Minister Mustapha Benbada announced that negotiations are still ongoing to allow Algeria to join the World Trade Organization. The eleventh round of talks will take place before year’s end. | KUNA

SEPTEMBER 25

Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said Monday in New York that Algeria carries on, "with confidence," its reforms to boost democracy. | APS

SEPTEMBER 21

The U.S. Embassy in Algiers asked Algerian newspaper Ennahar to retract a doctored photo it published of Ambassador Stevens with the director of the anti-Islam movie accompanied with a fictitious story attempting to link him to the controversial film. | Middle East Online

SEPTEMBER 20

The U.N. human rights commissioner, Navi Pillay, said that the Algerian government has agreed to allow a U.N. working group to come study what happened to thousands of people who disappeared during 1990s insurgency. | AP

SEPTEMBER 19

Al-Arabi Ould Khalifa, speaker of the Algerian National People’s Assembly, announced his opposition to demonstrations against the United States. He called for self-restraint and caution in reacting to the film that insults the Prophet Muhammad. | El-Khabr

SEPTEMBER 18

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay arrived in Algeria for discussions with civil society organizations. Her visit marks a first by a sitting high commissioner for human rights. | UPI; APS

The Algerian Council of Ministers on Monday approved the 2013 budget bill and a hydrocarbons bill. Public expenditures will be $84 billion, and they forecast $47.7 billion as revenue. | APS; Xinhua

SEPTEMBER 17

Algeria's government is planning to build five skyscrapers at a total cost of $2 billion in an attempt to make up for the annual government shortage of 150,000 housing units. | Zawya

SEPTEMBER 13

The U.S. Embassy in Algeria warned of possible protests yesterday, following violent protests in Egypt and Libya. | AP

The Algerian city of Oran will host the twentieth International Islamic Fiqh Congress with hundreds of Islamic scholars from across the world attending. | APS

SEPTEMBER 12

The Algerian Justice Ministry said that it will start its work on supervising the revision of the country’s electoral laws on September 16 to prepare for upcoming November elections. | APS

Algeria announced that it is seeking partners to carry out a $60 billion shift to clean energy sources according to Noureddine Boutarfa, the head of state-owned energy group Sonelgaz. The energy group has a target to supply 40 percent of the nation’s power demand with renewables by 2030. | Bloomberg

SEPTEMBER 11

The Justice Ministry’s Director for Legal Affairs Mohamed Amara said that judges will supervise the upcoming November 29 elections to ensure credibility and transparency. | APS

The Algerian government has designated an education budget of $627.2 million to meet the needs of the more than 8.3 million students starting the new school year. | APS

SEPTEMBER 6

The new Algerian government faces a raft of social problems, including joblessness, poor housing, and ongoing water cuts, which threaten to aggravate simmering discontent. | Daily Star Lebanon

SEPTEMBER 5

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika retained key ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Interior, and Energy after consulting with new Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal regarding the makeup of the new government. | APS; Gulf Times

Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said that his primary focus will be the implementation of reforms initiated by President Bouteflika and to continue the work of his predecessor Ahmed Ouyahia. | APS

SEPTEMBER 4

Algeria's president named a close ally of his, Abdelmalek Sellal, as the country's new prime minister on Monday, ending some political uncertainty almost four months after parliamentary elections. | Reuters

The Algerian government was granted more time to fully lift tariff restrictions with the EU on imports of industrial products by 2020 and not 2017, under the new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which entered into force on September 1, 2012. | Tax-News

AUGUST 30

Algerian Finance Minister Karim Djoudi said that Africa needs adequate policies to counter the soaring inflation rates caused by an influx of capital. In 2011, inflation in Algeria hit 4.5 percent, compared to 3.9 percent in 2010. | Global Times

AUGUST 29

A trade accord signed by Algeria and the EU that delays the lifting of tariff barriers will allow Algeria to avoid an $8.5 billion loss in customs duties, the commerce minister said Tuesday. | EUbusiness

Fearing the 'Afghanisation' of Mali, Algeria is boosting its troop levels along the country’s southern frontier with Mali to halt al-Qaeda infiltration and as a precaution against possible fallout from a military intervention in Mali. | Magharebia

AUGUST 28

Al-Qaeda denies the reported killing of Algerian commander and founder of al-Qaeda’s North African offshoot, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, in Northern Mali. He has been sentenced by an Algerian court to life imprisonment in absentia in connection with the killing of ten Algerian customs agents in 2007. | Reuters

AUGUST 27

The Mali-based al-Qaeda-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) released a ransom video of an employee from the Algerian consulate in Mali's northern city of Gao whom they are holding hostage. | AFP

The National Consultative Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, an official body, said in its annual report for 2011 that corruption in Algeria is endemic and tearing at the fabric of society and called for punitive measures against corrupt officials. | AFP

AUGUST 24

Algerian human rights activist Abdelkader Kherba, who was arrested earlier this week while trying to film a protest against water cuts, is on hunger strike. | Daily Star

AUGUST 23

Algeria and the EU have agreed on revising the Association Agreement’s tariff dismantling calendar, the Foreign Affairs ministry said in a communiqué. Existing tariff dismantling schedules, vital to increasing the volume of Algerian trade, will continue until 2020. | APS

AUGUST 22

A new deal worth $1.75 billion between the UAE’s Tawazun Holding and the Algerian government will establish a factory in Algeria capable of producing up to 200 armored vehicles a year for the Algerian military. | National

AUGUST 21

Algerian Special Forces arrested three suspected terrorists, including an official of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The government revealed that the arrest took place 570 km south of Algiers on Monday and it included the head of the AQIM judicial committee. | APS

Algiers Metro Company announced a $6 billion government plan to build a tram system in Algeria’s major cities to strengthen the national public transportation network. | APS

AUGUST 16

The European Commission has approved a €34 million environmental program in Algeria, which will focus on protecting the Algiers coastal region, which is home to almost five million people, and aims to tackle climate change and increase the profile of environmentalism in Algeria’s development policies. | European Commission

Algeria’s foreign ministry stressed that it did not express any opposition to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s decision to suspend Syria yesterday, denying reports that Algeria was with Iran in supporting Syria. | Bernama

AUGUST 14

Algerians are mounting pressure on President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika to follow in the footsteps of his Egyptian counterpart Mohammed Morsi and sack senior army generals. Algerians wish to revive an article proposed in the 1956 Le congrès de la Soummam that stipulated that the political body takes precedence over the military. | Al-Arabiya

AUGUST 10

Lakhdar Brahimi, a veteran diplomat and former Algerian foreign minister, is expected to be named as the new UN-Arab League envoy to Syria in place of Kofi Annan, diplomats said Thursday. | France 24

AUGUST 9

Algeria will double its capacity to generate electricity to meet growing domestic demand, as the government seeks to curb unrest after power cuts sparked violent protests. | Reuters

Islamist parties that did poorly in Algeria's spring legislative elections have denounced the EU observers' report on the vote, claiming it reflects a deal with Algerian authorities. | Montreal Gazette

AUGUST 6

The EU observer mission in Algeria reported that the large number of candidates at Algeria’s legislative elections on May 10 resulted in vote splitting that benefited mainstream political parties. | Bernama

AUGUST 2

Algeria has reported a higher trade surplus in the first half of this year as exports rose 5.6 percent and imports fell 5.2 percent, according to the latest statistics. | Bernama

JULY 30

More than 12,000 Syrians fleeing the violence in their home country have sought refuge in Algeria, a source close to the interior ministry said on Sunday. | Daily Star

JULY 25

Algerian authorities have stepped up security measures near oil and gas fields located in Al-Agwat. | MENA FN

Algeria is witnessing an influx of refugees from Syria who are joining their relatives or seeking shelter. | Kuwait News Agency

JULY 23

Algeria has rejected an Arab League call for Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad to step down, saying the issue calls for a sovereign decision by the Syrian people. | Daily Star

A consumer rights association in Algeria has launched a campaign to boycott red and white meat in protest of soaring prices. | Xinhua

JULY 22

The Algerian Red Crescent led a humanitarian caravan to Kidal this past weekend to deliver food and other aid to Mali. | Magharebia

JULY 18

 An ambush by the Algerian army has killed two suspected Islamists near Boumerdes. | Ahram Online

JULY 17

Algeria has confirmed that three of its diplomats who were abducted in northern Mali in April have been released, although four still remain in detention. | Gulf News

JULY 16

Algerian President Bouteflika has met the French foreign minister and discussed the political crisis in Mali as well as Franco-Algerian relations. | AFP

JULY 13

Algeria is taking extra measures to secure its southern border as tensions in neighboring countries intensify. | Magharebia

JULY 12

An Islamist rebel group in northern Mali has freed three of seven Algerian diplomats kidnapped from Gao in April. | AFP

JULY 11

Maghreb Foreign Ministers have concluded their meeting in Algiers during which they discussed establishing a common approach to security threats. | Magharebia

JULY 10

Thousands of police auxiliaries are marching on the capital in Algeria to demand pay raises and other job benefits, but have been blocked by the police. | Gulf News

JULY 9

Algeria’s foreign minister has asked his regional counterparts to help develop a North Africa-wide approach to deal with the threat of terrorist groups and criminal networks. | AP

JULY 5

Algeria has celebrated its 50-year independence from France with a giant open air performance and a nationwide fireworks display. | AFP

JULY 3

Algeria has said that it would seek an emergency OPEC meeting if oil prices resume their decline. | Reuters

JULY 2

Algeria’s Senior Adviser to the Energy Minister has stated that the country plans to build four oil refineries in its north. | Reuters

JUNE 29

At least one person was killed and three wounded when a suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a paramilitary police base in an Algerian desert town. | Reuters

Algerian jihadists have arrived in Gao to reinforce Islamist fighters in Mali. | AFP

JUNE 28

Algeria is working to craft a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Mali, as it continues to receive representatives from Tuareg rebel movements and foreign officials. | Magharebia

JUNE 27

An Algerian court has slapped an eight month suspended prison sentence and a 1,000 euro fine on a blogger who had called for a boycott of the May 10 elections. | AFP

JUNE 26

The Algerian parliament is witnessing confrontations between the ruling and opposition parties. | Al-Monitor

JUNE 25

The office of the newly elected National Assembly of Algeria has now been installed after the status of nine vice speakers were validated. | Global Times

According to Algeria’s Minister for Maghreb and Arab Affairs, the seven Algerian nationals who were kidnapped in northeast Mali are “fine.” | Daily Star

JUNE 21

Algerian troops have killed eight Islamist militants in the Kabylie region. | AFP

JUNE 20

Tunisia and Algeria are actively pursuing measures to strengthen their relationship in order to boost economic development and trade. | Magharebia

JUNE 19

Algerian army units are running military operations in Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb strongholds where they are preparing for “heavy confrontation” that may extend to the end of Ramadan. | Magharebia

Al-Qaeda’s off-shoot MUJAO is in talks to free the seven Algerian diplomats held hostage in Mali. | Magharebia

JUNE 18

Two police officers were killed and two others wounded in Algeria when armed men attacked police barracks east of Algiers. | AFP

JUNE 8

An Algerian man has died after setting himself on fire in protest when a policeman took away his driver’s license in Mascara. | Al-Arabiya

JUNE 7

Algeria’s Energy Minister has noted that OPEC will study the recent decline in crude prices in an effort to keep the market balanced. | Bloomberg

JUNE 5

Algeria will meet with UN officials next month in an effort to resolve thousands of missing persons cases and move forward on national reconciliation. | Magharebia

JUNE 4

Algeria’s National Election Monitoring Commission has found that the May 10th elections were marred by violations that compromise their legitimacy and transparency. | Magharebia

MAY 31

Suicide rates have risen in Algeria at an alarming rate, with official numbers pointing to 2,191 attempts in 2011, 300 of which were successful. | al Arabiya

MAY 30

Abdallah Djaballah, leader of the Front for Justice and Development, has said that all options remain on the table for the 16 political parties that now make up the Political Front to Protect Democracy. | Al-Monitor

MAY 29

More than 60 lawmakers have walked out of the inaugural session of parliament in Algeria in protest at alleged electoral fraud. | BBC News

Three Islamist militants have been killed in a pair of operations east of Algiers. | AP

Algeria’s electoral results have been changed after the country’s constitutional council produced final rulings on appeals filed over the May 10th elections; the National Liberation Front tally has been reduced to 208 from 221 seats. | Magharebia

MAY 25

Algeria’s population has reached 37.1 million, showing a 2.04% increase over 2011. | Magharebia

MAY 24

The Algerian interior minister stated that the 15 Algerian parties which claim to have been cheated in the parliamentary elections should accept the results or resign. | Middle East Online

MAY 23

The goal of the Algerian National Front (FNA) is the annulment of the new parliament. | Turkish Weekly

MAY 22

The visit of Algerian separatist leader Ferhat Mehenni to Israel has stirred controversy and raised concerns. | al Arabiya

A new Algerian opposition front made up of 14 small political parties has announced that it will boycott parliament. | AP

MAY 18

Although Algeria’s vote has been commended abroad, analysts say that the results did little to boost rulers’ legitimacy at home. | AP

MAY 17

The Algerian Director of Penitentiary Administration has stated that 75 percent of prisoners are under the age of 30. | ANSA

MAY 16

Official results from Algeria’s election were released today to confirm that the National Liberation Front won 221 seats, the National Democratic Rally 70 seats, and the Islamist Green Alliance 47 seats. | Bloomberg

Specialist doctors are rallying outside of Algeria’s Ministry of Health to demand better working conditions and higher compensation. | Magharebia

MAY 15

The International Parliamentary Union has said that Algeria has become the first and only Arab country to have more than 30 percent of its parliamentary seats held by women. | Kuwait News Agency

MAY 14

Algeria’s Front for Justice and Development has distanced itself from claims that its leader made a call for Tunisian-style revolts over the election results. | Gulf News

The EU and the United States have endorsed Algeria’s parliamentary elections as an important step towards reform. | Voice of America

MAY 11

Election results for Algeria’s parliamentary elections indicate that Algeria’s ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) won 220 seats, the National Democratic Rally won 68, and the Islamist Green Alliance won 48 seats. Voter turnout was 42.36%. | Al-Arabiya; Al-Arabiya

An alliance of Islamist parties accused authorities of widespread fraud as initial figures pointed them to finishing third in Algeria’s parliamentary elections. | Washington Post

MAY 10

Algeria’s parliamentary elections are being considered the fairest in 20 years, but turnout has been low. | AP

MAY 9

The EU mission in Algeria will not be given access to the national voter registry despite their role in election observation. | Middle East Online

Algerians in Ourgala, Tindouf, El-Bayadh, and Tamanrasset have already begun voting; 38 mobile voting stations have been set up in the country’s remote southern areas. | Magharebia

MAY 8

Algerians living abroad have started voting in the country’s legislative elections. | Magharebia

A Malian official has stated that about 100 North Africans from Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya have recently joined the ranks of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. | Magharebia

MAY 7

Algerians living abroad have started voting in the country’s legislative elections. | Magharebia

Algeria’s National Liberation Front has said that it will be satisfied with a turnout of 45 percent in the upcoming elections. | AFP

MAY 4

Algeria has mobilized a total of 19,000 civil defense personnel to ensure the security of the upcoming elections. | Bernama

In an effort to guarantee transparency, Algeria has invited more than 500 international observers to oversee the upcoming elections; 10 members of the European Parliament and 20 EU ambassadors are set to arrive on Monday. | Magharebia

MAY 3

The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa has demanded 45 million euros in ransom for two European aid workers and seven Algerian diplomats taken hostage. | AFP

MAY 2

A terrorist attack in Mekla of Algeria’s Kabylie region has claimed the lives of four policemen and wounded others. | Newstime Africa

MAY 1

Algeria’s President has specifically called on youth and women to vote in next week’s elections. | al Arabiya

APRIL 27

After boycotting all national elections for more than a decade, Algeria’s oldest opposition party, the FFF, has returned to campaign in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The party is headed by Hocine Ait Ahmad, 85, who helped lead the fight half-a-century ago for Algeria’s independence from colonial ruler France. | Daily Star

A prominent Algerian preacher warned of the consequences of not going to the ballot box in the upcoming parliamentary elections and predicted a NATO attack on the country in case of a low turnout. | Al-Arabiya

APRIL 26

A prominent Algerian Muslim cleric has issued a decree saying that God will punish anyone who does not vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections. | Reuters

APRIL 25

The Front des Forces Socialistes (FFS) has decided to end its boycott of national elections and is now on the campaign trail for the upcoming elections. | Reuters

Algeria’s Prime Minister has expressed a fear of a wide scattering of votes because 44 parties are running in the upcoming elections. | Al-Arabiya

APRIL 24

Seven Algerian diplomats kidnapped by the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa in Gao are in good health; contact has been established with the kidnappers. | News 24

APRIL 23

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has called on Algerians to boycott the upcoming elections. | Reuters

Concerns are mounting over the funding of Algeria’s political parties in light of a number of allegations that some have been accepting foreign funding. | Magharebia

APRIL 20

Algeria will deploy more than 60,000 police forces across the country to provide security for the upcoming May 10th legislative elections. | Middle East Online

APRIL 19

The Libyan interim leader is paying a visit to Algeria to promote regional cooperation and secure the countries’ shared frontier. | Magharebia

APRIL 18

Algerian security services deployed along the Mali border arrested four terror suspects and seized explosives. | Magharebia

An Italian tourist kidnapped by Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents in Algeria more than 14 months ago has been released in northern Mali. | Reuters

APRIL 17

Algeria plans to boost investment in the tourism sector with the aim of attracting some 3.5 million tourists per year starting in 2015. | Reuters

APRIL 16

Yemen’s Counterterrorism Unit has arrived in Abyan to engage in the fighting against Ansar Al-Sharia. | Yemen Times

Foreign ministers from Algeria, Mauritania, and Niger have called for dialogue between Mali’s new civilian government and separatist rebels in the North. | Magharebia

APRIL 11

A roadside bomb killed a soldier and wounded two others about 100 km east of the Algerian capital. | IOL

APRIL 12

Algeria’s first president and historic revolutionary leader, Ahmed Ben Bella, has passed away in his family home at the age of 95. | Wall Street Journal

APRIL 11

A roadside bomb killed a soldier and wounded two others about 100 km east of the Algerian capital. | IOL

APRIL 10

The Algerian diplomats who were kidnapped from the country’s consulate in Mali remain held by their captor; the Al-Qaeda splinter group, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. | Magharebia

APRIL 9

Algerian diplomats seized at the Algerian Consulate in Mali are being held by unknown parties; the Algerian government has been mobilized to ensure their release. | Magharebia

APRIL 6

The Algerian prime minister has stated that Algeria will not accept a break-up of its southern neighbor Mali and is very worried about the situation there. | Reuters

APRIL 4

Two top U.S. officials have visited Algeria to discuss the fight against terrorism in Africa. | Washington Post

APRIL 3

French officials have deported two radical Islamists back to their home countries of Algeria and Mali; another three also face expulsion orders. | BBC News

MARCH 29

Algerian authorities have refused to allow the body of Mohamed Merah, who killed seven people in France, to be sent to the country for burial. | Reuters

MARCH 28

Algeria and Libya are discussing border security, the fight against organized crime, and other areas of cooperation. | Magharebia

MARCH 27

Algeria plans to create a taskforce to tackle the underground economy and issues with the black market. | Magharebia

MARCH 26

A Russian envoy has arrived in Algeria to hold talks with the Algerian foreign minister on the crisis in Syria. | Ahram

MARCH 22

Three children between the ages of eleven and twelve have committed suicide by hanging themselves in less than 24 hours in Tizi Ouzou; local medical sources have indicated that poor school results and a lack of communication with the children may have led to the suicides. | Al-Arabiya

Algeria has expressed concern over the military coup in neighboring Mali and condemned the seizure of power by a group of soldiers. | Independent Online

MARCH 21

Algeria and the European Union have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to send EU monitors to the upcoming Algerian parliamentary elections. | Bernama

MARCH 19

The Algerian government has approved seven new political parties, bringing the number of political groups in the country to more than 30. | Bernama

MARCH 16

According to Algeria’s Prime Minister, borders between Algeria and Morocco will have to open “sooner or later,” in light of warming relations between the two countries. | Magharebia

MARCH 15

An Algerian court has passed 16 death sentences as 18 people were tried in connection with a string of bombings carried out by Islamists in 2007. | AFP

MARCH 14

Officials have stated that Algeria’s parallel economy and tax evasion have cost the country colossal sums and undermined development. | Business Report

MARCH 13

An Algerian court has sentenced, in absentia, the head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abdelmalek Droukdel, to death for a string of 2007 attacks. | Middle East Online

Doctors in Algeria are participating in a three-day strike to demand better working conditions and a higher compensation. | Magharebia

MARCH 12

Algeria’s Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) has elected party spokesman and deputy Mohcine Belabbas as its new leader. | Magharebia

MARCH 9

After talks between the countries’ leaders, Algeria will help Libya create an army and a police force. | News 24

MARCH 8

Three of five Islamist parties running in Algeria’s elections have announced that they are forming an alliance to jointly field candidates. | Al-Arabiya

MARCH 7

Algeria’s Islamists are expected to score heavily in parliamentary elections scheduled for May. | UPI

MARCH 6

Algerian security officers have caught two surviving suspects after Sunday’s suicide attack on the Gendarmerie. | Magharebia

Tuareg rebels and Malian troops have engaged in violent clashes in Tessalit near the Algerian border. | Magharebia

MARCH 5

Algeria’s secular Socialist Forces Front has announced its plans to run in the May 10 parliamentary elections. | Magharebia

Al-Qaeda’s West African breakaway group has mounted a suicide bomb attack against the Algerian gendarmie headquarters in Tamanrasset, wounding 15 officers, 5 civilians, and 3 passerbys. | Magharebia

MARCH 2

Algeria’s former Prime Minister Sid Ahmed Ghozali has called for a boycott on parliamentary elections in May. | AFP

Tuareg rebels and Malian troops have engaged in violent clashes near the Algerian border. | Magharebia

MARCH 1

Algeria has signed bilateral agreements with Brazil, Cuba, Uruguay, Venezuela and Argentina as part of negotiations for its accession to the World Trade Organization. | Magharebia

The European Union plans to send between 100 and 150 observers to monitor the May 10 parliamentary elections in Algeria. | Magharebia

FEBRUARY 29

Under a new presidential directive, Algeria is attempting to prevent and control money laundering and terror financing. | Magharebia

FEBRUARY 28

An Algerian opposition lawmaker has been elected head of the commission to oversee parliamentary polls. | Daily Star

FEBRUARY 27

Algeria’s main Islamist parties have agreed to run as an alliance in the upcoming parliamentary elections in May. | Washington Post

Algerian troops killed 6 terrorists during a large-scale operation between Issers and Bordj Menaiel. | Magharebia

FEBRUARY 23

Algeria and Libya are set to exchange high-level visits in an attempt to re-launch cooperation in fighting arms trafficking and Islamist insurgents in the Sahara desert. | Independent Online

FEBRUARY 22

Algerian security forces have shot seven militants in a forest near Algiers. | APA

Election monitors from the Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute will be able to monitor parliamentary elections for the first time in Algeria later this year. | Reuters

FEBRUARY 21

An Algerian official said that Algerian forces surrounded and killed four Islamist militants implicated in a roadside bomb. | Washington Post

Algerian security forces have found a large cache of weapons which they believe were smuggled from neighboring Libya. | Reuters

FEBRUARY 15

Three armed Islamists and one Algerian gendarme died in clashes near Tinzaouatine along the Algerian-Malian border. | Magharebia

FEBRUARY 14

Algerian soldiers have foiled an attack on border guards in Tamanrasset Province by terrorists from Mali. | Magharebia

FEBRUARY 13

Algeria’s president has announced that elections will be held on May 10. | USA Today

Algeria and Libya have signed an agreement to crack down on the cross-border trafficking of Libyan weapons. | Magharebia

FEBRUARY 10

Algeria’s president has announced that elections will be held on May 10. | USA Today

FEBRUARY 9

Algeria will witness a "social explosion" if the May legislative election is marred by fraud, an Islamist leader warned Tuesday. | Associated Press

Italy has not asked Algeria to supply it with more gas to offset disruption to flows from Russia caused by a cold snap, an executive of Algerian gas group Sonatrach said on Tuesday, as wintry weather sends Italian gas demand to record highs. | Reuters

FEBRUARY 8

Algeria has announced that the number of parliamentary seats will be increased from 389 to 462 in the upcoming May elections. | Naharnet

FEBRUARY 7

Concerns over the health of an ex-Guantanamo detainee who has been jailed again in his native Algeria have angered a number of groups fighting for his freedom; he has been sentenced to three years in an Algerian prison on a charge of “past membership in an extremist group overseas.” | Al-Arabiya

FEBRUARY 6

Algeria’s energy minister has stated that OPEC members have never discussed pumping more oil to offset a possible drop in Iranian exports. | Bloomberg

FEBRUARY 3

Algeria’s Prime Minister has stated that legislative polls will be held before May 17. | Kuwait News Agency

FEBRUARY 2

At least 30 people, including police, have been injured during clashes in Tiaret after the funeral a man who burned himself to death. | Now Lebanon

The reopening of the land border between Algeria and Morocco is becoming more of a real possibility and may be done as early as May. | Magharebia

FEBRUARY 1

Algeria is allowing election monitoring by international observers for the first time for the upcoming legislative elections. | Magharebia

JANUARY 31

The leader of the Front for Justice and Development has suggested that if the Algerian government rigs the May parliamentary election to keep its grip on power, unrest will ensue. | Reuters

JANUARY 30

Algeria has rejected any attempt to internationalize the Syrian crisis, expressing reservations about the involvement of the UN Security Council. | KUNA News Agency

Police and protesters have clashed in Algeria after a street protester attempted self-immolation; dozens were arrested and twelve were injured. | Jerusalem Post

JANUARY 27

Just months before the Algerian elections take place, politicians warn against and try to combat citizen abstention from the vote. | Magharebia

JANUARY 26

Algeria has stated that it has no plans to increase its oil exports to compensate for any fall in Iranian exports stemming from tighter U.S. and European sanctions. | Reuters

JANUARY 25

Algeria’s government has authorized the creation of ten political parties, allowing them to register just four months before parliamentary elections. | Reuters

JANUARY 24

Algerian prosecutors have called for the death sentence for Mokhtar Belmokhtar of al-Qaeda who is accused of perpetrating several “terrorist acts.” | AFP

An Algiers court has sentenced Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar and three other members to death. | Magharebia

JANUARY 23

Algerian prosecutors have called for the death sentence for Mokhtar Belmokhtar of al-Qaeda who is accused of perpetrating several “terrorist acts.” | AFP

JANUARY 20

Tuareg rebels have mounted attacks on two Mali towns near the Algerian border. | Magharebia

JANUARY 19

The foreign ministers of Algeria, Mauritania, Mali and Niger will convene in Nouakchott to review security threats and consolidate the regional strategy. | Magharebia

JANUARY 18

An Algerian regional governor who was allegedly kidnapped by Al-Qaeda’s North African branch, has been freed and returned home, after Libyan security forces intercepted his kidnappers. | Reuters

Secretary of State Clinton is set to visit Algeria in the upcoming weeks, in a move that some see as an endorsement for President Bouteflika. | Reuters

JANUARY 17

Al-Qaeda is holding an Algerian regional governor hostage after he was kidnapped near the Libyan border. | Reuters

Algerian authorities have agreed to briefly re-open borders with Morocco to allow for the passage of some cyclists, in a show of thawing relations between the two nations. | Al-Arabiya

JANUARY 13

Algeria’s foreign minister has stated that Syria has taken steps to contain the crisis, adding that the risk of increased violence is connected to the armed opposition. | Tripoli Post

JANUARY 12

Algeria has downplayed suggestions from ex-observer Anwar Malek that the Arab League mission in Syria was a “farce.” | Euro News

The Algerian foreign minister has stated that Maghreb nations are inching closer towards rebuilding the Arab Maghreb Union. | Magharebia

The moderate Islamist Movement of Society for Peace has withdrawn from Algeria’s presidential alliance; the party has decided to keep its ministers in the government though. | Magharebia

JANUARY 11

Police fired tear gas on protesters angry over unemployment and housing shortages in Laghouat, leaving 10 injured. | AFP

An Algiers court is set to try fugitive Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Mokhtar Belmokhtar and nine other terror suspects. | Magharebia

JANUARY 10

Algeria’s Interior Minister has stated that Islamist parties are unlikely to win parliamentary polls in May despite their gains in neighboring nations. | AFP

JANUARY 9

Algeria’s Freedom and Justice Party will hold its establishing conference by the end of January and seeks approval from the Ministry of Interior. | Ahram Online

JANUARY 6

Algerian soldiers have intercepted a four-vehicle convoy of arms smugglers near the Niger border. | Magharebia

JANUARY 5

Algeria’s prime minister will host a congress to discuss political reforms launched by the president after protests and riots swept the country last year. This congress comes as opposition parties demand that Bouteflika remove the PM and appoint an interim cabinet of technocrats to ensure that parliamentary elections are not rigged. | Middle East Online; Reuters

Algeria’s foreign minister has stated that his country will continue efforts to “normalize” relations with Morocco. | Magharebia

JANUARY 4

The European Union has agreed to monitor Algeria’s legislative elections in May. | Magharebia

Local sources have reported that Mohanad Ouramdane, a leader of an Al-Qaeda offshoot in North Africa, and his deputy were killed by Algerian security forces in the city of Tizi Ouzou. | YNet News

JANUARY 3

The Movement of Society for Peace has pulled out of Algeria’s governing coalition. | Magharebia

An Algerian court has sentenced Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, one of the most radical leaders of Al-Qaeda’s North African branch, to life in prison in absentia. | AFP

DECEMBER 19

Algerian President Bouteflika has invited international observers to monitor the spring 2012 legislative vote. | IOL News

A new law has been passed which gives sweeping power to Algerian authorities to regulate and control associations while banning non-governmental groups from receiving foreign financial assistance. | Magharebia

DECEMBER 16

A UK-based satellite channel with a link to Algeria’s banned Islamic Salvation Front has said it would start broadcasting to North Africa. | Reuters

DECEMBER 15

Algeria has passed a controversial media law which lists 12 areas which journalists must tread carefully in order to avoid undermining the country’s national identity, sovereignty, security, and economic interests. | AFP

DECEMBER 14

The Algerian army has arrested seven Libyan weapon smugglers near the desert border between Algeria and Libya. | RT

DECEMBER 13

Algeria’s Islamists are looking for a victory in the next election, despite a ban on the involvement of the Islamic Salvation Front in politics. | AP

DECEMBER 12

Islamists in Algeria are displaying a renewed intent to reassume power after years of political exclusion, setting up a satellite station, sending delegates to Arab countries, and making tentative forays into anti-government protests. | Ahram Online

DECEMBER 8

The President of the Libyan NTC will soon make a trip to Algeria; relations between Algeria and the NTC were tense at the beginning of the Libyan conflict. | Ennahar

DECEMBER 7

Algeria’s National Assembly has voted to maintain a two-decade ban on the country’s main religious party, the Islamic Salvation Front. | Ahram Online

Algeria’s foreign minister has stated that an Arab initiative to resolve the Syrian crisis must be given a “maximum chance” to broker a change of power through dialogue between the government and opposition and avert civil war. | Reuters

DECEMBER 6

The Algerian National Liberation Front has announced its decision to nominate Bouteflika for a fourth term in presidential elections slated for 2014. | Ahram Online

DECEMBER 5

Algerian Islamist Bouguerra Soltani has called on religious parties to form an alliance ahead of next year’s legislative elections. | Magharebia

DECEMBER 2

Algeria has labeled Aisha Qaddafi’s comments as “unacceptable,” after she called for the overthrow of her country’s interim government. | News 24

NOVEMBER 30

Algeria has arrested seven alleged terrorists in Bou Saada; guns and materials for the manufacture of explosives were also seized. | Magharebia

Algeria’s Secret Service has found that Al-Qaeda is planning another wave of kidnaps in North Africa. | Economic Times

NOVEMBER 29

Algeria’s President has submitted a new media law to parliament; the law removes criminal penalties for defamation and replaces them with fines. | AP

NOVEMBER 21

After a worried government embarked on a grain buying spree after the Arab uprisings, Algeria is close to breaking its all-time record for wheat imports. | Reuters

Algerian President Bouteflika has met with the NTC’s Abdul Jalil for the first time, signaling a breakthrough in relations with the new Libyan leadership. | Magharebia

NOVEMBER 17

An Algerian court has convicted a tour guide on the charge that he plotted to kidnap a group of European tourists and sell them to Al-Qaeda; Mohamed Afrokada was sentenced to five years in prison. | AP

NOVEMBER 18

Anti-terrorism experts continue to meet in Algeria to discuss ways in which to prevent the financing of armed militant groups, focusing specifically on North Africa’s Sahel desert region. | AFP

NOVEMBER 17

An Algerian court has convicted a tour guide on the charge that he plotted to kidnap a group of European tourists and sell them to Al-Qaeda; Mohamed Afrokada was sentenced to five years in prison. | AP

NOVEMBER 16

An antiterrorism meeting in Algeria indicates that many North African leaders are concerned about the threat of loose weapons, kidnaps, and rebellions in the region. | Christian Science Monitor

NOVEMBER 15

Algeria has arrested nine people, among them eight Air Algerie stewards, as part of an operation against an international drug trafficking ring. | News 24

NOVEMBER 14

The Algerian government has closed around 900 mosques around the country for their alleged use by suspected Islamic terrorists. | ADN Kronos

The Algerian deputy foreign minister has stated that intelligence reports indicate a coordination between Nigeria’s Boko Haram and the Algerian-based Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. | Reuters

NOVEMBER 10

Senior government officials from Algeria and other countries have met with their U.S. peers in Washington to discuss security threats. | Magharebia

NOVEMBER 9

As part of efforts to boost relations with Mali, Algeria has unveiled an investment plan targeting the country’s northern regions. | Magharebia

Qatar and Algeria are partnering to build a new steel plant near Jijel in Eastern Algeria. | Magharebia

Algeria has reopened the Hoggar Mountains for tourism; it hopes that increased security will lead to a boost in tourism. | Magharebia

NOVEMBER 8

The EU has approved a 23.5 million Euro program to help youth in Algeria with an emphasis on youth employment. | ENPI

NOVEMBER 4

Female Algerian MP’s have criticized a law adopted by the country’s parliament which reverses an initial bill to vastly improve female representation in politics; the original bill proposed electoral quota lists for women of 30 percent, but the amendment states that the number of female MP’s will be directly proportional to the number of seats in each constituency. | AFP

NOVEMBER 3

Somali pirates holding an Algerian bulk carrier since January 1 have freed 25 crewmen being held hostage. | AFP

NOVEMBER 1

Algerian Foreign Minister Medelci has stated that an Arab League meeting charged with seeking an end to the violence in Syria has reached an agreement with Syrian authorities. | Reuters

OCTOBER 31

According to the APS news agency, Algerian forces have killed four suspected Islamist militants 250 km south of Algiers. | Sky News

According to a mediator who has established contact with the kidnappers, an Italian and two Spaniards who were kidnapped in Algeria last week are alive and are being held by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. | AFP

OCTOBER 28

The Algerian Energy Ministry has recommended that the country’s energy laws be changed in order to encourage international investment in oil and gas projects in the nation. | Reuters

OCTOBER 27

The IMF has projected that growth in Algeria is likely to reach around 3 percent with fiscal policy set to remain expansionary. | Reuters

OCTOBER 26

Lawyers in Algeria have gone on strike to protest against changes in the profession which they say will limit their independence and powers in the court. | AFP

OCTOBER 25

Algeria has condemned the kidnapping of three European nationals in the Sahrawi refugee camp near Tindouf, labeling it as a “criminal act.” The ambassador of the Western Sahara to Algiers directly blamed Al-Qaeda for the kidnapping. | Ennahar

OCTOBER 24

An informed Algerian government source has stated that the country has no plans to extradite Qaddafi’s family to Libya or any other country. | Ria Novosti

Gunmen allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have kidnapped three aid workers from a refugee camp in Algeria. | AP

Former Algerian Defense Minister Khaled Nezzar has been arrested and questioned in Switzerland on suspicion of committing war crimes during Algeria’s civil war. | Reuters

OCTOBER 21

The Libyan National Transition Council has officially asked neighboring Algeria to hand over the late Qaddafi’s family. | Taiwan News

With divisions surfacing between the National Liberation Front secretary-seneral and some reformist elements within the party, Algeria’s ruling party is facing what some call the largest internal crisis in seven years. | Magharebia

OCTOBER 20

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has stated that Algeria should cooperate with the new Libyan regime over members of the Qaddafi family who took refuge there. | AFP

In a video message, Abu Yahia Elliby of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has urged Algerians to follow the example of Tunisians, Egyptians, and Libyans who toppled regimes in their respective countries. | Ennahar

OCTOBER 19

Algeria and a number of other Sahel countries are setting up a joint security cell to counter the threat posed by the circulation of weapons from Libya. | Magharebia

OCTOBER 18

The government announced Tuesday that U.S. military personnel at 485 military bases are preparing to evacuate, with 20 remaining. | Al-Sumaria News

OCTOBER 17

Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has won the top award at the Frankfurt Book Fair for his struggle for democracy in his homeland. | CBS News

OCTOBER 13

An Algerian man has been jailed for 20 years for his membership in the Katibat El Mout armed group. | IOL News

Somali pirates holding an Algerian carrier since January have released two of its 27 crewmen. | AFP

OCTOBER 12

In a new video, Al-Qaeda’s Ayman Zawahiri has called on Algerians to overthrow the government of President Bouteflika and praised Libyan rebels for seizing Tripoli. | AFP

OCTOBER 11

Algeria arrested around 25 unemployed people as they prepared to rally against joblessness near the presidential compound. | AFP

OCTOBER 6

Algerian police briefly detained 17 people as they prepared to hold a rally commemorating the bloody democracy protests of 1988. | News 24

OCTOBER 5

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) expressed its concern on the new Algerian media bill, stating that although it is considered a step forward, extortionate fines and elastic wording remain, indicating a restriction on the freedom of expression. | All Africa

OCTOBER 4

Storms which hit the El Bayadh region Friday have raised water levels by 13 meters, killing 10 people to date and leaving 150 families homeless in Southern Algeria. | RFI

OCTOBER 3

Flooding in Algeria has killed at least 10 and destroyed hundreds of homes; Algeria is often hit by heavy flooding in October. | BBC News

Algeria will raise its minimum wage by 20 percent; starting in January 2012. | Magharebia

SEPTEMBER 30

George Wright, an American hijacker who was caught after hiding for 41 years was revealed to have spent time in Algeria; in the past, he was involved with murder and the hijacking of a plane. | Guardian

SEPTEMBER 29

According to a West Point study, a sharp surge in terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is threatening Algeria’s political stability. | Guardian

SEPTEMBER 28

Libyan leaders believe that Muammar Qaddafi is being shielded by nomadic tribesmen near the Algerian border. | Reuters

The Algerian army has killed six militants in an operation near the town of Boumerdes. | News 24

SEPTEMBER 27

Spanish police have arrested five Algerians suspected of helping to finance al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. | Boston Globe

Sporadic fighting on the Algeria-Libya border continues; clashes have been observed since Sunday. | Bikya Masr
 

SEPTEMBER 26

Algeria has given de facto recognition to the Libyan National Transition Council, expressing its intent to work with the council and re-establish “normal” cooperation. | Ahram Online

Although a new “Day of Rage” was recently called in Algeria, no one showed up in the May 1st Square. | AP

A rocket-propelled grenade attack targeted the Jijel Airport, 220 miles east of Algiers. The attack was allegedly aimed at a military helicopter but caused no damage. | Daily Nation

SEPTEMBER 23

Algeria has given de facto recognition to the Libyan National Transition Council, expressing its intent to work with the council and re-establish “normal” cooperation. | Ahram Online

SEPTEMBER 22

Tunisian troops killed armed infiltrators in clashes near the border with Algeria. The country’s borders with Algeria and Libya have been tense since the revolution in Libya. | Reuters Africa

SEPTEMBER 21

A key member of the North African branch of al-Qaeda has allegedly been killed by Algerian security forces near Tizi Ouzou. | AFP

SEPTEMBER 20

Bloomberg suggests that because OPEC members are poised to earn an unprecedented $1 trillion this year, accordingly Algeria will be raising salaries of civil servants in the country by 34 percent. | Bloomberg

SEPTEMBER 19

Algeria will get its first private television channels in 2012. | AFP

The U.S. Embassy in Algiers has been alerted to possible threats. | All Africa

Riots spread over the Algerian capital this week as residents protested government housing plans. | Magharebia

SEPTEMBER 16

More than 1,000 residents of Kabylie have come together to mourn the death of a woman killed in an army blunder and demand the relocation of the nearby barracks. | Middle East Online

SEPTEMBER 15

The Algerian Minister of Interior has suggested that foreign parties are involved in the attempt to cause political unrest in the country. | Ennahar

SEPTEMBER 14

Algeria’s new election law will prevent members from the Islamic Salvation Front from participating in politics. The law was introduced on Monday. | AP

A new law establishes a quota for female candidates in Algerian elected bodies. | Magharebia

In a set of sweeping reforms, Algeria has ended a monopoly on broadcast and the imprisonment of journalists for libel. | Bloomberg BusinessWeek

SEPTEMBER 13

Algeria has announced media reforms to allow private radio and television stations to exist for the first time since independence. | BBC News

Algeria has clarified that it will accept the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) once revolutionaries form a new government that is representative of all Libyans. | Gulf News

SEPTEMBER 10

Coptic groups are divided over whether the community should participate in the "Path of Correction" protest Friday. | Al-Masry al-Youm

SEPTEMBER 9

Coptic groups are divided over whether the community should participate in the "Path of Correction" protest Friday. | Al-Masry al-Youm

SEPTEMBER 8

SEPTEMBER 8— Coptic groups are divided over whether the community should participate in the "Path of Correction" protest Friday. | Al-Masry al-Youm

SEPTEMBER 7

Algerian state media announced that a number of Libyan convoys have entered Niger, but said Muammar Gadhafi was not among them. | AP

A conference led by Algeria on counterterrorism began today to discuss dealing with al-Qaeda in the region. | AP

SEPTEMBER 6

Algeria has announced the temporary closing of its border with Libya as a security precaution. | Magharebia

The Algerian Parliament is set to review a number of political reform bills to be announced by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. | Xinhua

In response to recent terrorist attacks, Algeria has introduced new measures to protect its citizens. | Magharebia

August 30

The United States has vowed to support Algeria with counterterrorism efforts after two bombings left eighteen people dead. | AFP

August 31

Experts are suggesting that Algeria may be threatening its national security by accepting Muammar Qaddafi’s family into the country. | Telegraph

Libyan refugees continue to cross the Algerian border every day. | Press TV

August 30

The United States has vowed to support Algeria with counterterrorism efforts after two bombings left eighteen people dead. | AFP

August 29

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for an attack on a military academy in Algeria that killed at least 18 people. | AP

August 26

Algeria’s Foreign Minister has denied claims that it was linking recognition of the Libyan National Transition Council with commitment from the Council to crackdown on Islamists. | Reuters Africa

August 25

Algeria is working to establish formal relations with Libya’s National Transition Council. | Magharebia

August 24

A military serviceman was killed and two officers injured in an attack on an Algerian military checkpoint. | Reuters

August 23

Algeria’s state oil firm has issued a tender to buy up to 175,000 tons of gasoline for delivery between September and December of this year. | Reuters

August 22

An alleged unconfirmed report from an official in the Libyan National Transition Council claims that Libyan leader Qaddafi is now in Algeria after rebels have taken control of Tripoli. | Ahram Online

August 19

Leading Algerian Islamist Abdullah Djaballah has warned that the country could be swept by an Arab Spring-style revolt if the government does not fix social and political problems. | Daily Star

Al-Qaeda’s North Africa wing has claimed responsibility for a bombing which wounded 29 people. | Daily Star

August 18

Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a weekend suicide bombing which injured 29 people. | Reuters

August 17

The European Commission has allocated 34.5 million Euros for Algeria to strengthen the partnership between the European Union and Algeria. | Kuwait News Agency

August 16

Twenty-three illegal immigrants were arrested off Annaba, just east of the coast of Algiers; illegal Algerian immigrants are often headed to Italy. | Ennahar

August 15

At least 29 people were injured in a suicide car bomb attack on a police station east of Algiers; no group has claimed responsibility for the attack although the region is a stronghold for Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). | BBC

August 11

The Algerian government is looking to reduce its country’s dependence on hydrocarbon revenues, which make up 98 percent of Algeria’s current income. | Magharebia

August 10

Algeria’s government has spoken out about Syria, calling for reforms and an end to the crackdown on the political opposition. | Ahram Online

Security agencies in Algeria have ordered a bolstering of forces around government buildings and police stations to prevent al-Qaeda attacks. | World Tribune

August 9

Algerian Islamist Abdellah Djaballah has created a new political party known as the Justice and Development Front. | Magharebia

August 8

Algerian forces have dismantled a terror-support group near Bordj Bou Arreridj and found bombs, explosive belts, and ammunition at the operations site. | Magharebia

August 5

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika called for the diversification of the national economy, suggesting that renewable energy must be further developed. | Magharebia

August 4

The relatives of seventeen Algerian soldiers currently being held captive by Somali pirates are organizing demonstrations to demand that the government take action to free the men; Algerian officials have announced that they are following the matter closely, but will not pay the ransom. | AFP

July 28

According to government sources, security forces allegedly killed the son of former Islamist leader Ali Belhadj, but no independent confirmation was issued. Abdelkahar Belhadj was allegedly plotting an attack with this small militant group. Belhadj’s father was the deputy leader of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS). | AfricaAsia

The government increased its grain imports ahead of Ramadan to mitigate the rising food prices during the season and quell protests and strikes. The government imported nearly $2 billion worth of cereals, flour, and semolina, and total food imports for the first half of 2011 are up nearly 60 percent compared to last year. | Middle East Online

July 25

Opposition parties renewed their efforts to push for reform and claimed that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s reform initiative failed to bring forth change. The leader of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), Said Saadi, accused Bouteflika of hampering the reform process by avoiding engaging in the movement for democratic change that has been sweeping through the Arab world. Loiusa Hanoun, the leader of the Leftist Workers Party, also urged the government to take bold steps to enact substantive reforms. | Al Jazeera (1); (2)

July 20

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) issued a communiqué to claim responsibility for the two suicide attacks that killed civilians and security forces in Bordj Menaiel. | Reuters

July 19

A four-day strike by Air Algerie staff left thousands of travelers stranded at airports and cost the airline company 32 million dinars. The workers demanded a 106 percent pay hike, better working conditions, and the reinstatement of 145 staff members who lost their jobs after holding the strike. The strike ended on Thursday after Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia intervened. He urged both sides to engage in dialogue to reach a deal. Talks are currently underway. | Magherbia

Security forces shot two militants near the border with Tunisia amid a wave of violence that killed six people and injured 20 others. Recently, a suicide bomber attacked a police station at Bordj-Menaiel, and another militant drove his motorbike into a crowd near the town hall. One police officer was killed and fourteen others were injured. | AFP

July 14

The military court ordered the temporary detention of fifteen army personnel, two of whom are officers, over the killing of Mustapha Dial in Azazga last month. The Defense Ministry issued a statement immediately after the incident stating that his death was a “mistake” as troops were trying to capture militants in the area. The incident led the governor of Tizi-Ouzou to move to Azazga to contain the unrest and outrage. | Magharebia

JUNE 30

Lawyers marched in to protest a law regulating the legal profession, which “restricts defense [lawyers’] rights” in facing judges and prosecutors. Police forces attempted to disperse the protesters, but the lawyers changed slogans against the new law in front of the parliament building. | AFP

JUNE 28

Three soldiers were killed in separate attacks in both the eastern and western regions of Algeria. Algerian forces also killed two militants in the town of Arba’aa in a series of confrontations between Algerian troops and suspected al-Qaeda militants. | Al Jazeera

JUNE 27

Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem agreed to step down from the leadership of the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) party if the majority of FLN members of parliament and central committee vote for him to do so. A growing movement within the ruling party, led by Minister of Vocational Training al-Hadi Khaldi, along with other current and former ministers, has been calling for the restoration of the party’s principles. | Asharq al-Awsat

Nearly 6,000 protesters marched against the killing of Mustapha Dial, who was suspected of a bombing that killed one soldier and injured another in Azazga. The Defense Ministry later admitted that the citizen was targeted by mistake. | AFP; Ennahar

JUNE 24

Opposition figure Karim Tabo of the Socialist Forces Front criticized the reform process and accused the government of merely buying time to set up business deals with Western countries. He explained that his party’s decision to boycott consultations on reforms with the government was due to the lack of credibility of the reform process. | Elaph

JUNE 23

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has not set a timetable to draft a new constitution after dialogue ended between government officials and political parties, but he is expected to lay out amendment proposals before the beginning of Ramadan in August. The three largest parties in the country backed the consultation process, while the Front for Socialist Forces and Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) boycotted talks. | AP

JUNE 22

Dialogue between the government political parties and civil society organizations concluded, and the reform committee, set up by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, will present the reform proposals to the president based on talks that took place over the past month. | Asharq al-Awsat

Government officials allegedly vowed to reopen Protestant churches, which were closed for not having a license to operate. The head of the Protestant Church, Mustafa Karim, said he came to an agreement with the Interior Ministry to facilitate the reopening of churches. | Elaph

JUNE 21

The leadership of the Protestant Christian church requested the Interior Ministry to review Article 2 of the constitution, which states Islam as the official religion of the state. The request came after the state suspended activities of seven churches that did not have a license to operate. Priests have urged that amending the article would mitigate sectarianism and religious discrimination in the country. | Al-Hayat 

Over 250 former military conscripts, who fought against the Islamist insurgency in the 1990s, protested to demand greater pensions and benefits. The soldiers claimed they were not compensated properly and that the Defense Ministry broke its promises to them. | Al-Bayan; Business Week

JUNE 20

The European Union rejected Algeria’s request to delay a free-trade accord, which included plans to cancel tariffs on goods between the two markets. The Algerian government has been trying to appease domestic businesses that expressed concern over competing with duty-free European goods as a wave of strikes and protests against economic hardships sweeps through the country. | AFP

The government reaffirmed its opposition to including the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which has been banned since 1992, in its national dialogue for reform amid a movement by several political parties and prominent figures to boycott talks. | Al-Bayan

JUNE 16

The parliament approved the Complementary Financial Act, a budget law to increase subsidies in order to quell recent protests and strikes, which includes subsidies for buying consumer goods, boosting investment, creating jobs, and reducing taxes for small businesses. The parliamentary session was boycotted by the opposition Workers’ Party. | AFP

Domestic and international flights were cancelled due to a strike by aeronautic workers, who demanded improvement in their professional status. The Justice Ministry warned the aeronautic union that its strike was illegal. | People’s Daily

JUNE 15

Members of the special forces that fight terrorism plan to hold an open-ended sit-in in front of the Ministry of Defense beginning Sunday until the government meets their demands after their subsidies were cut. | El-Khabar

JUNE 14

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika ordered Mohamed Seghir Babeb, the chairman of the National Economic and Social Council (CNES), to set up the first general assembly of civil society, which kicked off today, to encourage dialogue and the expression of opinions, and building consensus. | Algeria Press Service

JUNE 13

Prominent opposition figure and leader of the Socialist Forces Front, Hussein Ayat Ahmed, criticized President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s efforts at reform, calling his promises hollow amid increasing calls by opposition figures to boycott Bouteflika’s call for dialogue. | Al-Itihad

JUNE 9

Secretary-General of the ruling FLN, Abdelaziz Belkhadem, suggested a power-sharing arrangement in the executive branch by the president and prime minister, contrary to the constitutional enumeration of powers in the country. He said that this power share would promote a balance between authorities.  | AFP

Protestors clashed with security forces on the streets of Oran in a march held by doctors, and several demonstrators were injured. In response, the minister of health said he did not have the power to fulfill the doctors’ demands. | el-Khabar; el-Khabar

The banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) accused the Algerian government of “thwarting Arab revolutions.” | Al Arabiya

JUNE 6

The postal service workers entered their tenth day of strike, affecting millions of Algerians and depriving many of receiving their salaries. The postal service employees demanded raises in wages and guaranteed employment for their children after they retire. | AFP

JUNE 3

The government put forth a plan that would abolish administrative provisions on businesses after three-party talks with the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) and members of business associations. | Magharebia

The Interior Minister denied the government was repressing the Protestant Christian community after its decision to close down several churches. He stated that the places of worship violated the rules that required them to be licensed. | Asha`b al-Yaoumiya Online

JUNE 1

Two prominent Islamist leaders, El Hachemi Sahnouni and Abdelfattah Zeraoui Hamadach, wrote to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika asking for “historic reconciliation” in order to thwart foreign interference similar to the NATO intervention in Libya. | UPI

MAY 31

Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia denied that the government would release thousands of Islamists held on terrorism charges. | AFP

MAY 26

State officials closed seven Protestant churches in the eastern Bejaia region for not having permits, and thus disobeying the law regulating worship. | AFP

MAY 25

Police arrested five people and two policemen were injured during a demonstration by residents protesting the demolition of their homes in al-Wadi in southern Algeria. | al-Hayat

The Algerian League for Human Rights and several prominent political figures, including former Prime Minister Ahmed Bebitour, criticized President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s political reform dialogue, accusing him of merely buying time and avoiding substantive change. | UPI; Ennahar Online

MAY 23

Members of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s ruling party refused to participate in the dialogue for political reform due to the politics of exclusion and marginalization within the party. They also demanded the resignation of the party’s secretary general, Abdel Aziz Benkhadem. | al-Khaleej

Public-sector doctors, who had been on strike since May 16, returned to work after entering negotiations with the Ministry of Health. | AFP

MAY 20

The February 20 Movement is planning a demonstration on May 22 in Sebata and Ben M’sik. Another march is planned for May 29, followed by a five-hour sit-in. | Magharebia

The national prosecutor denied there was a torture center at the government’s intelligence headquarters, where demonstrations took place before the security forces quickly dispersed the protesters earlier this week.  | World Bulletin

MAY 19

The opposition party Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), led by Saadi Saeed, refused President’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s invitation to discuss political reform in the country, describing it as a cosmetic move to make the regime appear reformist. | UPI

In an attempt to alleviate domestic economic pressure, the finance minister declared that the government will give preference to financial proposals from domestic companies to help them compete with foreign companies and reduce imports. | AFP

MAY 18

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika discussed with his top aides the possible abolition of the National People’s Assembly during the constitutional reform process and posing an alternative in its place. | al-Hayat

The speaker of the National People’s Assembly admitted that there is a political stalemate in the country, blaming the three-party coalition that controls the current government. | al-Bayan

MAY 17

The health minister threatened to penalize doctors who have been on strike for two months by cutting their wages, calling their demonstrations and demands “illegitimate.”  | AFP

MAY 16

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will release thousands of Islamists from prison in an effort to appease religious elements and prevent  the wave of uprisings from spreading to Algeria. | Reuters

Clashes between the army and Islamic militants resulted in the death of one soldier and two militants on Saturday. Just one day earlier, seven soldiers and three Islamists were killed in the Petite Kabylie district. | Middle East Online

Dialogue on reform between the government and opposition parties is starting. Bouteflika named two officials—advisor of security and anti-terror units, General Mohammed Tuati, and Advisor of Scientific Research Muhammed Ali Boughazi—to hold discussions with the parties. | Elaph

MAY 12

The government launched an economic census that started May 8 and will take three months to create a registry of all operating companies. The project will include all sectors except agriculture, and aims to tackle the lack of transparency associated with the business sector, where many companies do not declare all of their profits. | Magharebia

In an effort to reform the political party law, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika asked his advisors to break the alliance between businesspeople and party politics in response to the recent strikes by workers in the country. Currently, a third of the seats of the National People’s Assembly are occupied by businesspeople. | al-Hayat

MAY 11

Police blocked over 1,500 doctors, who have been on strike for two months, from protesting today. | AFP

Algerian authorities arrested several people in Ennabah city for ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). | Al Jazeera

Former President Ahmed Ben Bella endorsed current President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to head the country and spearhead reforms, adding that what happened in Egypt and Tunisia would not accomplish anything for the Algerian people who are “difficult to control.” | Ennahar

MAY 10

The Algerian opposition is reportedly frustrated with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to appoint Abdul Qader Bin Saleh, speaker of the People’s National Assembly, to chair a committee that will initiate a dialogue on political reform. Opposition representatives claim that the committee is too close to the government to be genuinely interested in political change.  | Al-Arab

MAY 9

Al Jazeera television reported that the Libyan embassy in Algiers has purchased 500 military-grade vehicles and shipped them to forces supporting Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi in Libya. Critics accused the Algerian government of complicity in the transaction, saying that such a large purchase of military-grade vehicles by an embassy could not go forward without at least the tacit support of Algerian officials. The Algerian opposition had previously accused the government of supporting Gaddafi by facilitating the shipment of military supplies across the Libyan border.  | Morocco Board News

The Socialist Forces Front (FFS), one of Algeria’s oldest opposition parties, said that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is not serious about introducing political reforms against the backdrop of a continuing government ban on demonstrations by opposition and civil society activists. FFS Secretary General Karim Tabou said that Bouteflika “is talking about [political] opening, however he has already closed all of the doors.”| Al Jazeera

An Algerian journalist was shot and killed on May 6 in a town 60 miles east of Algiers, an area of Algeria where insurgents linked to al-Qaeda are active. Al-Qaeda has not claimed responsibility for the killing, but the incident was reminiscent of similar attacks during the 1990s, in which journalists were targeted by Islamist insurgents fighting government security forces. | France 24

MAY 6

Algerian doctors who have been on strike since March 7 have threatened to resign collectively, and some warned that they will go so far as to leave the country if the government does not meet their demands. The doctors have asked for higher wages, a reduction in night shifts, and the elimination of the government’s compulsory public service requirement.  | Al-Jazirah 

Algeria announced that it will review the terms of its economic partnership agreement with the European Union due to a trade imbalance in agricultural products and food commodities that favors European states. | Al-Arab

MAY 5

Ten people were injured in a protest held by doctors in Algiers, and the security forces confiscated a camera from a journalist with the independent el-Khabar newspaper. The medical workers were calling for wage increases and an end to compulsory civilian service. | AFP

MAY 4

In a cabinet meeting, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika outlined his plans for political reform. The speaker of the People’s National Assembly, Abdul Qader Bin Saleh, will lead the dialogue over constitutional amendments, which is expected to be completed by September or October.  | Algérie Presse Service; Asharq al-Awsat

Algerian journalists gathered in the capital of Algiers on World Press Freedom Day to demand better salaries and training. | AFP

MAY 3

The government approved amendments to the 2011 budget that would increase public spending by 25 percent to quell recent strikes and protests. This increase is aimed at implementing pay raises for the public sector; higher subsidies for flour, milk, cooking oil, and sugar; building new homes; and creating jobs. | Reuters

MAY 2

Nine people were hurt in clashes between the security forces and student demonstrators, when students tried to break through the police barrier. Protesters were demanding an end to the repression of students, and called for the regime to fall. | al-Ahram Online 

The Ministry of Finance increased the salaries of its employees by 30-40 percent. | El-Khabar