Events from the year 2008 in Algeria.
Incumbents President: Abdelaziz Bouteflika Prime Minister: Abdelaziz Belkhadem (until 23 June), Ahmed Ouyahia (starting 23 June)
Events
January January 17: A senior United Nations official stated that the Algerian government refused to close off the streets outside a U.N. building in Algiers despite repeated requests in the months prior to a suicide car bombing in December 2007. The blast killed 17 staff members. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb took responsibility for the action.
February February 7: Algerian security forces killed a rebel leader and apprehended six of his associates who were suspected in a dual bombing of a court building and United Nations offices in Algiers. They are also wanted for an attack on foreign oil workers."Algeria Says It Killed Rebel Leader and Seized 6 in His Gang", The New York Times, February 7, 2008, pg. A16. February 22: The Algerian militant group, al-Qaeda, kidnapped two Austrian tourists in Tunisia. According to an audio recording released by the faction the people were seized because of western world cooperation with Israel."Algeria: 115 kidnappings by militants", USA Today, Thursday, May 15, 2008, online edition.
March
April
May May 9 & May 10: 9 Algerian government troops were killed in two separate incidents by Islamic extremists. 6 died in an ambush carried out by the North Africa wing of Al Qaeda, as the soldiers were patrolling in Medea Province. 3 others were killed by the same group in another incident in Bouira Province. The soldiers' paths were halted by 2 bombs prior to the commencement of gunfire."Algeria loses 9 troops to Islamist attacks", Daily Star, Wednesday, May 14, 2008. May 15: The Algerian interior minister announced that 115 people were kidnapped in Algeria in terrorist-related actions in 2007. He reported 260 additional kidnappings attributed to family disputes. May 18: Hundred of Algerian security forces intervened in Beriane, Algeria following three nights of clashes between Arabs and minority Berbers. 2 people were killed and dozens made homeless after violence involving rival gangs of hooded young men in the town of about 35,000."Arab-Berber clashes shake Algeria town", Reuters, May 18, 2008. May 19: Russia and Algeria concluded a deal in which the African nation purchased $7.5 billion in arms in return for ceding Russia gas leverage. The agreement is post-Soviet Russia's largest single arms deal. Algeria acquired fighter aircraft, tanks, and air defense systems, with the possibility of more equipment."Algerian Arms Deal Brings Russia $7.5 billion, Gas Market Leverage", Defense Industry Daily, May 19, 2008. May 20: Algeria resumed a role as mediator in an armed conflict between Tuareg fighters and government troops in north Mali. Malian foreign minister Moctar Ouane held discussions with Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika about the strife which threatens Mali's internal stability."Algeria to resume mediation in N Mali conflict", China View, May 20, 2008. May 20: The Moroccan Bar Association, composed of 1,200 members, called for the restoration of diplomatic ties with Algeria and the re-opening of land borders between the two nations, closed since 1994. It is thought that Algerian officials want the settlement of a thirty-three-year-old Western Sahara conflict between Morocco and the national liberation movement Polisario Front, as a precondition to normalization of relations."Moroccan lawyers call for fresh bilateral ties with Algeria", Agence de Presse Africaine, May 20, 2008. May 21: Algerian state energy conglomerate, Sonatrach, estimated 2008 earnings at $81 billion if oil prices maintain their high level. The 2007 earnings amounted to $59 billion."Algeria sees oil earnings at $81 bn", Tehran Times, May 21, 2008. May 22: Algeria became the first country to acquire Runitel, the United States developed information and communications system. It is a component of modernizing the arms and acquisition of the latest technologies."National Gendarmie services acquire sophisticated Runitel communications system" El Khabar, Thursday, May 22, 2008. May 22: Algerian army troops killed two terrorists in an ambush in the Beni Douala region at Tizi Ouzou. The soldiers acted on information that the terrorists were en route to Beni Douala in a car. Two AK-74 assault rifles were recovered from the dead men."Army troops kill 2 terrorists and recuperate their arms in Tizi Ouzou central province", El Khabar, May 22, 2008. May 22: Ghaleb Abdullah Moussa is appointed as the new Catholic Church Archbishop of Algiers by Pope Benedict XVI.El Khabar, May 28, 2008.
May 27: A Swiss firm, Algeria Shopping Malls Company, announced plans to build 5 shopping malls in Algerian cities by 2013. The first mall will be in Bab Ezzouar, a new business square in Algiers. A second one will also be located in the capital city, followed by additional ones in Oran, Setif, and Tlemcen."Swiss Company to build 5 shopping malls in Algeria by 2013", Algérie Presse Service, Tuesday, May 27, 2008. May 27: 70 policemen were injured and 150 people were arrested when partisans of Mouloudia of Oran protested their team's relegation to the 2nd division for the first time in its history. Dozens of businesses were destroyed and police clashed with angry fans in the streets."70 policeman injured, 150 arrested", El Khabar, Wednesday, May 28, 2008. May 29: Abdelmalek Sayeh, chairman of the Algerian national office of drug taking and addiction fighting, cited foreign countries as using Algeria's youth for consumption of drugs like heroin and cocaine from Colombia. Sayeh stated that Algerian young people are being used to traffick cannabis from Morocco to Libya, Tunisia, the Middle East, and western and eastern Europe."Foreign countries intending making Algeria main hard drugs consumer", El Khabar, May 29, 2008. May 30: The Court of Boumerdes sentenced 14 people suspected of terrorism and possession of weapons, ammunition, and explosive materials to death in absentia."Algeria sentences 14 terrorists to death in absentia", chinaview, May 30, 2008.
June June 2: The Russian Irkut (company) Corporation delivered 2 Su 30 MKA Flanker multi-role fighters to Algeria. By the terms of a 2006 contract amounting to $2.5 billion, Irkut is scheduled to deliver 28 Su 30 MKA fighters to Algeria by 2010. Irkut is part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)."Russia delivers 30 Su-30 fighters to Algeria", Večernje novosti, Russian News & Information Agency, June 2, 2008. June 5: A suicide attack occurred in Bordj El Kiffan, eastern Algiers, in front of the main entrance of the Republican Guards barracks. Nearby a bomb exploded inside a cafe. One person was killed and many others were injured. Observers suspected the two incidents were the work of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb A thirty-year-old man carried a bomb belt to the barracks near Matares Beach. He blew himself up two meters in front of the barracks' gate."A suicide attack against Republican Guards barracks, eastern Algiers", El Khabar, June 6, 2008. June 5: Six Algerian soldiers were killed and four wounded in Cap Djinet, east of Algiers, when a roadside bomb exploded when their vehicle ran over it, returning to their barracks."Bomb claims 6 Algerian soldiers", Worldnews.com, June 6, 2008. June 6: Algeria is cited in a United States trafficking in persons report, which specifies it as a transit nation for illegal migrants coming from southern African countries. Often these persons become involved in prostitution networks."Algeria in the black trafficking in persons list", El Khabar, June 6, 2008. June 8: Thirteen people were killed at a railway station in Beni Amrane (about sixty miles east of Algiers) when two bombs exploded. The explosives were triggered by a remote control device. The first bomb killed at least two people, including a French citizen who was repairing the station's rails. He was in the process of leaving the area in a car."13 people killed in Algerian train station bombings, security officials say", Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 8, 2008. June 8: Algeria's national oil company, Sonatrach, and the Portuguese company, Energias de Portugal (EDP), signed a memorandum to expand their partnership outside the Iberian Peninsula. The companies hope to bring their products to Latin America. Sonatrach owns a 2.035% stake in EDP."Algeria's Sonatrach and Portugal's Energias sign a MoU", Algérie Presse Service, June 9. June 10: Shariket Karhaba Koudiet Edraaouch Spa (SKD), a subsidiary of Sonatrach and Sonelgaz, have said that a consortium of General Electric and Iberdrola of Spain are responsible for the construction of a power station being built in El Taref, 700 kilometers east of Algiers. The project will increase Algeria's energy capacity by 18%."Algerian power station construction attributed to GE-Iberdrola", Algérie Presse Service, June 11, 2008. June 12: A cooperation agreement sealed by Sonatrach stipulates that a bureau of the Russian oil company, Gazprom, will open in Algiers in June."Gazprom to open a bureau in Algiers", El Khabar, 6-12-08. June 12: Air Algérie announced an increase of 15% in wages to become effective by June 2009. The raise for pilots and employees necessitates the allocation of $959 million. Seven trade unions defended the company's employees in negotiations with airline executives."Air Algérie allocates 959 million for wage increase", El Khabar, June 12, 2008. June 15: Four people suspected of complicity in the deaths of six Algerian soldiers were arrested in Cap Djinet in the coastal province of Boumerdes, They admitted to attacking an army troops patrol in Cap Djinet on June 5."4 People suspected of being behind 6 Army troops killings arrested in Boumerdes", El Khabar, June 16, 2008. June 15: The president of the pharmaceutical sector in Algeria, Lofti Ben Ahmed, said that Algerian medicines are subject to being smuggled into Morocco and Tunisia even though control measures have been set up at all borders. Medicines imported into Algeria are being sold illegally in Oujda. Medicines are nonrefundable in Morocco because social insurance is nonexistent there."Algerian imported medicines smuggled to Tunisia and Morocco", El Khabar, June 16, 2008. June 15: The Algerian navy apprehended twenty-four Algerians attempting to enter Europe by boat from Oran."24 Algerians caught trying to steal into Europe", Algérie Presse Service, June 15, 2008. June 16: NATO proposed a unilateral counterterrorism program for Algeria which would include seven hundred troops, with coordination of military and information activities. The training of military officials would be conducted at the defense academy in Rome, Italy."NATO proposes a unilateral counterterrorism programme to Algeria", El Khabar, June 17, 2008. June 16: A 2008 people census revealed that there are approximately 35 million people in Algeria, with a growth rate of 1.72% from 1998 to 2008."35 million people in Algeria", El Khabar, June 17, 2008. June 17: Three Moroccans affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb were detained three weeks ago and have been transferred to Serkadji prison in Algiers. The three said that they carried arms against the United States as well as working to overthrow the "pro U.S. monarchy" in Morocco. It is unsure whether they will be tried in Algeria or Morocco."Three Moroccans belonging to Al-Qaeda referred to Serkadji prison", El Khabar, June 18, 2008. June 17: An investigative team has been formed to inquire into scandals affecting Algerian hospitals. The committee will submit a detailed report to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in the coming months. The investigation has been prompted by complaints of poor treatment of patients and bad hospital working conditions."Investigation committee to investigate scandals shaking hospitals", El Khabar, June 18, 2008.