Two years after the fall of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algerian leaders have locked down 43 million Algerians and lost much of the regional influence which their brilliant diplomats once wielded. President Tebboune keeps promising reform and explaining how, in his eyes, the “sacred” Hirak has been hijacked by foreign conspirators. The leaders talk about diversifying the economy away from hydrocarbons but talking the talk is no more than economic self-parody. French President Macron has made gestures to recognise France’s colonial misdeeds. However, when he said last November that he would do everything to “help the courageous President Tebboune”, he earned himself a stunning rebuke from Hirak’s charismatic figure Karim Tabbou.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 02, 2021 09:00 UTC