Algeria’s progress since independence

I read with much interest the article entitled ‘ 68th Anniversary of the Glorious Algerian War of Liberation’ which recently appeared in the Botswana Guardian. In the article, the new Algerian ambassador to Botswana, Mourad Adjabi, described France’s occupation of his country from 1830 – 1962 as brutal and caused humiliation and misery to Algerians. And in the Sahara, which makes up some 80 percent of Algeria, the local warlike Tuaregs were only finally subdued by the French in the early years of the twentieth century. However, the proud Algerian people finally managed to remove the yoke of French colonialism after a seven- year war of independence [ 1954- 1962].

With its vast oil and gas reserves, Algeria has made stunning progress since independence. Indeed, it has a thriving economy, one of the largest in Africa, and a well - developed infrastructure. And this is despite the inescapable fact that much of the country has a much more hostile environment than Botswana – the rugged Atlas Mountains in the north along the Mediterranean coast, and endless burning waterless desert in the south. Unlike most African countries, money from the sale of its oil and gas has not been siphoned off into the pockets and external bank accounts of the political elite, or those who have strong connections with the ruling party. Instead, much of it has been prudently used in the country’s development and has trickled downwards to benefit the masses.

I have visited Algeria several times. And I have also travelled to many other countries in the Sahara – Morocco, Tunisia, Chad, Mauritania, Egypt and Sudan. But ‘ roads’ in these countries are so often little more than sandy or rocky tracks, or pistes, where vehicles travel at a snail’s pace, if at all. And robust 4x4 vehicles, especially Landcruisers, are essential if one is to get anywhere. Yet, travelling in the Chadian Sahara, I have so often seen huge Mercedes Benz trucks stuck for days in the sand, or have simply broken down.

But in the Algerian Sahara, things are somewhat different. Although roads are difficult to construct in sandy and rocky areas, today the Sahara is crisscrossed by a network of tarred highways that link the main oases with each other and the northern cities such as the capital, Algiers. This means that one can travel across the desert comfortably in a small saloon car. Being the largest country in all Africa and the tenth largest in the world, and more than three times the size of Botswana, this is no mean feat. Distances are vast and mind- boggling – the Trans- Sahara Highway runs some 2 400 kilometres from Algiers in the north to the Niger border in the far south of the country. And unlike other countries in the Sahara, the national airline, Air Algérie, operates regular scheduled services that connect the major oases with each other and also Algiers; and in some cases, even Paris in France. Most routes are served by wide body Boeing 737 jets. Air Algérie also operates many flights to a growing number of international destinations from its Algiers hub, especially in Europe, and north, central and west Africa. Large underground water- bearing layers of rock, or aquifers, have been tapped and pipelines run hundreds of kilometres across the desert to ensure that the oases do not run out of the precious liquid. What a contrast to parts of Botswana! Here some residents in large villages, such as Kanye, still have to rely on bowsers for their water supply.

Despite the country being a leading world producer of fossil fuels, the move to renewable sources of energy is rapidly gaining pace. In some remote villages, rows of solar panels provide power for lighting, cooking and heating. And many peasant farmers operate their boreholes using solar power. And unlike most other African countries, there is little corruption in Algeria. And a personal experience can bear testimony to this fact. Some years ago, I visited the oasis of El Oued in the Algerian Sahara. This oasis is well known for its unusual architecture – mud built buildings with high domed or vaulted roofs which help keep inside temperatures cool during the roasting hot summers. So, one day I decided to take some photos of some of these eye- catching buildings. Whilst shooting away, a truck with police officers, or gendarmes, armed with AK 47s, screeched to a halt besides me. They firmly instructed me to get inside, and on the way to the commissariat [ police station] I was told that taking photos of police houses was strictly interdict, or forbidden. I was now rather paranoic to say the least, since before I had heard of stories of foreigners in many African countries being detained, fined, tortured or deported for committing trivial offences.

On arrival at the commissariat, a middle- aged police officer confirmed the nature of the crime that I had committed. Calmly, he told me to unroll the film in my camera and remove it. After doing this, he told me that we should find a photo lab in town where the film could be processed. Once this was done, I gave him the photos of the police houses plus the negatives. Feeling more relaxed, the officer then treated me to some cups of coffee in a nearby café. He then said to me: ‘ C’est fini!’ – It [ the matter] is finished. ‘ I hope that I have been a good policeman!’ I agreed with him wholeheartedly and not once did he ever hint, or ask me for a bribe. Indeed, Algeria has been praised for having one of the best police services in all Africa. I am sure that if I had committed the same offence in another African country, I would have faced a hefty fine, or would have spent some serious time in the slammer! So other African countries and their leaders could learn a thing or two from this!

Streets in the Saharan oases are lined with modern public buildings and homes. I once visited Illizi, an oasis in the far south east of Algeria. Here street lighting, piped water and the provision of electricity are the norm. And houses in the lower income residential areas are attractive and constructed of local stone; they also have piped water and power. No standpipes here or the need to light a kerosene lamp! And almost every home has a satellite dish, or two… Such homes would put to shame the ugly concrete boxes and shacks that people call home in Old Naledi, Gaborone and Peleng, Lobatse.

In many developing countries, there are populations of First Peoples, those ethnic groups that were once the original inhabitants. Most of these peoples are used to living a simple, uncluttered nomadic way of life moving from one place to another in search of water and food for themselves, or for themselves and their livestock. In Botswana, we have the Basarwa, or San, and in Australia the Aborigines. However, such peoples are now rapidly becoming exposed to the modern way of life which dictates that people settle down in one place, work for a wage in offices, shops or factories… And the transition to this alien way of life becomes a major problem for them and so they find it difficult to adjust. For this reason, social ills such as drunkenness, rape and gender based violence are all too common in their communities. Also many of them feel that they have lost their culture and no longer have an identity.

Many Aborigines work on cattle farms in Australia where they are forced to settle down in one place and hold a permanent job. But without warning, one morning they may simply quit the job and go ‘ walkabout’ and never return. Here in Botswana, many Basarwa now live in places such as New Xade where they may spend their days drinking or in a bored state. And they are no longer allowed to live their nomadic way of life in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

But again, things are a little different in Algeria. Here the local Tuaregs have always lived as nomads in the Sahara. Rain here is almost non- existent and so they lived a life of moving from one place to another in search of food and water for themselves and their camels, sheep and goats. At any one place, they would set up their tents and stay a few weeks, or months, until the local water and grazing were depleted. They would then dismantle their tents and move with their animals elsewhere.

But the Algerian government has taken steps to ease the transition from a nomadic to a modern way of life for the Tuaregs. For example, in some oases, the Tuaregs now live in modern homes with modcons, and have access to public services such as clinics, schools, electricity and piped water. But on the outskirts of town, they may construct simple enclosures where they still keep their animals. And during school holidays the whole family may spend some weeks in the desert with their animals reliving the old way of life. I have often undertaken trips into the desert with the Tuaregs and many of them feel at home both in the desert and in town. On such trips, they are able to relive their nomadic way of life and yet have no problem with replacing their camels with a modern Landcruiser. And when evening comes, they still sleep under the stars and prepare traditional couscous or tagella – a form of bread - using an open wood fire.