Algeria: Riots in Ouargla continue

The city is devastated  and there is panic among the population. Twenty-seven police officers were injured in the clashes. One of them is in a serious condition. The authorities have requested reinforcements from neighboring wilayas to enhance the security of public buildings. The Wali of Ouargla decided yesterday evening to freeze the list of beneficiaries of free housing and announced the creation of a crisis force to contain the anger of the street, the daily newspaper El Watan reports.Clashes with security forces have continued since Wednesday morning through several neighborhoods, Gherbouz, Mekhadma, and Ksar Said Otba. A number of public buildings have been attacked and burned, the newspaper reports

A peaceful march and demonstration by the unemployed in the region brought promises of action to help the region overcome the widespread unemployment and the Prime Minister Abdelmalek  Sellal promised a raft of measures to tackle the crisis.

Following the publication of the freehousing list serious rioting erupted and government buildings were attacked.The young demonstraters charged that the housing had been allocated has gone predominently to single women and those outside the city. Applications which have been with the authorities,some since 1995 have been ignored bythe local authorities, the protestors told El Watan.  Some 696 units have been allocated while more than 12,000 applicants have been waiting two years this distribution, the article says.The head of Ouargla Diarai has promised to conduct new surveys.

The article in El Watan concludes saying that the housing is of very poor quality and situated  8 kms outside Ouargla. The buildings, it says , are not suited to a desert climate where it is 36 degrees centigrade and will shortly be 50 degrees.