Algeria to observe three-day mourning after crash kills 257

Algeria to observe three-day mourning after crash kills 257

Algeria will observe three days of mourning following the crash of a military airplane in Boufarik that claimed the lives of all 257 people on board. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika issued the mourning decree and also called for the victims to be remembered during Friday prayers, while sending condolences to the families…

Turkey’s Erdogan begins four-nation Africa tour in Algeria

Turkey’s Erdogan begins four-nation Africa tour in Algeria

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey began a tour of four African nations on Monday in Algeria, where he met with Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia to discuss cooperation on counterterrorism, energy, and economic development and trade. It is Erdoğan’s second visit to Algeria since becoming president in 2014 and he…

France’s Macron makes his second trip to Algeria this year

France’s Macron makes his second trip to Algeria this year

President Emmanuel Macron of France is headed back to the African continent on Wednesday, this time for another stop in Algeria before he continues on to Qatar for an official state visit. Macron is expected to meet with both longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, who returned…

HRW report on EU-Turkey migrant deal may raise red flags for Africa

The European Union’s dicey migration deal with Turkey is causing untold misery among migrants and refugees trapped on Greek islands, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Wednesday. The HRW organization conducted research in May and June on the island of Lesbos that “documented the deteriorating mental health…

Algeria: Ailing President Bouteflika marks 80th birthday

With Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in London and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe in Singapore – both reportedly seeking health care in the high-profile spotlight – it’s little wonder that less attention has been focused on Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president of Algeria. Bouteflika celebrates his 80th birthday on Thursday, amid…

Brahimi’s appeal on Algeria-Morocco ties gets the cold shoulder

Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has called for a reopening of the border between Morocco and Algeria in the context of regional cooperation, but that overture was quickly rebuffed by some in the latter country’s media outlets. Brahimi, a well-regarded elder statesman with close ties to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, suggested…

Algeria: Budget plans add to political, economic tensions

Algerian teachers and medical workers are threatening strikes as the country’s economic woes linger amid low oil prices, and the government proposes tax hikes and salary freezes to stretch the budget. The three-year economic plan released last month also considers reduced food subsidies, with increases in bread and milk prices. Algerian…

Nigeria’s Barkindo appeals for OPEC output cooperation

African economies dependent on oil revenues continue to struggle with high supply levels and low prices, as representatives of OPEC nations meeting in Algeria Tuesday said it will be November before any decision to limit output and stabilize markets could have an impact on their ailing budgets. Nigerian Mohammad Barkindo,…