News from Algeria 2006

[Al-khiyal]

SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has named its new ambassador to Algeria, a North Korean broadcaster reported Monday.

In the report monitored in Seoul, the North's Pyongyang Broadcasting said North Korean Ambassador to Libya Kim Tong-je has been appointed to concurrently serve as the North's envoy to Algeria.

North Korea names new envoy to Algeria

[Al-khiyal]

ALGIERS: Seven communal security guards have been killed by a group of armed Islamists in the region of Ain Defla, 160 kilometers west of Algiers, The Daily of Oran reported Monday. The men were ambushed Sunday outside an observation post near Sidi Medjahed by "a band of heavily armed terrorists," the paper said.

The victims of the attacks were caught off-guard a few minutes before breaking their daily Ramadan fast, it added.

Other newspapers Monday reported that an army soldier was killed and 19 others wounded on Saturday by a home-made bomb that exploded in the Beni Ksila forest, some 260 kilometers east of Algiers.

Also on Saturday, three policemen were wounded in a bomb attack in Bordj Menaiel, 80 kilometers east of Algiers, according to press reports.

Algerian Islamists kill 7 village guards

[Al-khiyal]

Algeria's government plans to raise 124,000 pensions by between 10% and 50%, Labour and Social Security Minister Tayeb Louh announced Thursday (October 14th), adding that the government is in the last stages of drafting a decree. The increase should have a limited impact on inflation, according to Finance Minister Mourad Medelci, due to the openness of Algeria's economy to imports. The pension increases come as part of Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem's promise of more socially-oriented policies.

Algerian government to raise pensions by 10-50%

[Al-khiyal]

DAMASCUS , (SANA) – Syria's Tourism Minister Sa'adallah Agha al-Qala stressed on Wednesday the deep-rooted ties connecting Syria and Algeria, pointing out to the role of tourism relations in enhancing and strengthening the joint cooperation between the two countries.

Meeting a media delegation from the Algerian news Agency WAJ, the minister pointed out to the main steps taken by his ministry to develop tourism in Syria since 2001.

The minister underlined that tourism number has increased by about 15% recently, "all due to the ministry's exerted efforts in that domain," the minister noted underlining that about 3,4 million tourists visted Syria last year in addition to 2 million visits by Syria Expatriate.

He noted that more than 34 thousand Algerian tourists visited Syria last year, "the number does not reflect the deep and historic ties connecting the two countries," he added.

For their part, the Algerian delegation showed great admiration of Syria and her important tourist landmarks, pointing out to the necessity of enhancing the tourism relations between the two countries in a way that serves both countries' interests.

Syria and Algeria to enhance tourism ties

[Al-khiyal]

Some 177 poor communes, in 16 Wilayas of the High Plateaus, include 156,937 people whose income is estimated at less than 5 thousand dinars. 46 of those communes are suffering from poverty and exclusion. They are deprived of health services, education, water, sewage disposals and gas installation in addition to unemployment and illiteracy, according to a new survey of the national development and planning agency. The survey also fixed a situation map for the remaining communes and suggested many recommendations for emergent interference.

During the opening of the International Conference on Poverty yesterday at the Ministry headquarters which corresponds with the international two days for food and combating poverty, Labor and National Solidarity Minister Mr. Djamel Ould Abbès considered the 5.7 rate of national poverty as a miracle and shift. He linked the situation with the bad and dangerous situation lived during the bloody decade. Mr. Rachid Benaissa, the Minister delegated for rural development, tackled the approaches adopted in the development of the deprived areas and which principle is to accompany and assist rather than taking them totally in charge.

The representative of the UN Development Programme expects Algeria to be able to achieve the development goals of the millennium before 2015 on the basis of the current indices. He also confirmed that the body will continue supporting the different operations, particularly concerning the south.

1.6 million Citizens live on less than 5000 dinars

[Al-khiyal]

Tunisian and Moroccan airline companies take advantage from Air Algérie weaknesses

[Al-khiyal]

Inquiries are underway by security bodies about transactions sealed between Brown & Root-Condor joint venture (Sonatrach and the US Haliberton), well informed sources pointed out. Investigations are in full swing namely about deals concluded between “BRC” and European, Turkish, or Egyptian sub-contracting corporations.

The sources further mention that inquiries about “BRC” bargains, of which shares Sonatrach owes 51%, was a prelude to more widespread investigations about tens of presumed scandals.

According to that inquiries embarked on, at the demand of the President of the Republic, these companies monopolize major markets, and sealed most of their transactions with great companies which they infiltrated thanks to their contracts with “BRC”. So they stoke bargains with many bodies and institutions such as Defence ministry, Sonatrach, the Presidency, the General Directorate for National Safety and other sensitive sectors.

The preliminary security reports mention bills elaborated by sub-contracting corporations incriminating great companies’ officials and prove that they received “presents” from sub-contracting companies representatives.

Sub-contracting companies’ scandals