Algeria vows to punish protesters

[Catherina]

Source: Al Jazeera

In the wake of deadly protests, the government lowers duties on basic food supplies and cracks down on rioters.




Algerian authorities have vowed to punish those responsible for nationwide food riots in which at least four people were reported killed and more than 800 injured.

Press reports on Sunday quoted Dahou Ould Kablia, interior minster, saying that troublemakers "will not go unpunished".

He said around 1,000 protestors had been arrested, many of them minors, during the weekend disturbances, adding that they would appear before judges beginning Sunday.

Out of the 826 people injured, the minister said 763 were police.

...

Algeria has seen three days of unrest over the rising costs of living and unemployment, which government figures show standing at about 10 per cent, but which independent organisations put closer to 25 per cent.

Layachi Ansar, professor of sociology at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera that the cutting of food taxes and duties was "a superficial measure" that doesn't address "the deep crisis" going on in Algeria, connected with the "unequal distribution of wealth - this wealth is spoilt by corruption, by bad governance and lack of accountability of government officials and state civil servants".

...

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/20111820132025240.html



Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/algeria/

---

There's a good video news report at the link.

[davidthegnome]

1. I wonder...

Is there any place in the world now that is well off - where people are happy?