OSAC Country Security Report Algeria
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OSAC Country Security Report Algeria Last update: July 27, 2021 Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Algeria at Level 4, indicating that travelers should not travel to Algeria due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in Algeria due to terrorism. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. The Institute for Economics & Peace Global Peace Index 2021 ranks Algeria 120 out of 163 worldwide, rating the country as being at a Medium state of peace. Crime Environment The U.S. Department of State has assessed Algiers as being a MEDIUM-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The U.S. Department of State has not included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria. The crime emergency line in Algeria are 1548 and 17; for gendarmes, call 1055. Review the State Department’s Crime Victims Assistance brochure. Crime: General Threat The government publishes periodic criminal statistics from both the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) and the National Gendarmerie. Crime records showed an overall increase of criminality of 3% in 2020 compared to 2019. The DGSN reported an increase in cybercrime, likely attributable to confinement measures and curfews during 2020 that kept people off the streets. The most common crimes tend to be crimes of opportunity (e.g., pickpocketing, purse snatching, burglary, and similar crimes) involving criminals operating primarily in high-traffic and high-density areas. However, statistics show criminals tend to focus on those who appear unfamiliar with their surroundings or have otherwise drawn attention to themselves. Areas foreigners frequent are generally less vulnerable, since they enjoy more robust police presence, though crime still does occur. Algiers and many of the larger coastal cities are safer due to the significant deployment of security forces. In addition to police personnel, Algiers province employs an extensive camera network for monitoring general safety and fighting crime. Algeria uses video surveillance in at least seven major cities and expects to expand the program. General theft and residential burglaries are more common in low-income neighborhoods but do occur occasionally in more affluent areas. Because burglaries are often crimes of opportunity, a well-secured home is often enough to deter criminals. Many middle-class Algerian families improve their residential security by installing grilles over windows and doors. Assume that criminals prepare for confrontation, though most avoid violence. In mid-2020, the government increased penalties for gang activity to include heavier sentencing. This was in response to increases in neighborhood gang violence, armed robberies, drug trafficking, and other activities that posed threats to civilians. 1 Crime: Areas of Concern Some neighborhoods in Algiers experience more crime than others, but none are off-limits to U.S. embassy personnel. Crime in urban environments outside of Algiers is worse than in Algiers. However, these areas aren’t generally places travelers from outside Algeria have a reason to visit, so is generally a non-issue for OSAC members. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, Hotels: The Inns and Outs, Considerations for Hotel Security, and Taking Credit. Kidnapping Threat The U.S. Department of State has included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria, indicating that criminal or terrorist individuals or groups have threatened to and/or have seized or detained and threatened to kill, injure, or continue to detain individuals in order to compel a third party (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of release. Review OSAC’s reports, Kidnapping: The Basics and Active Shooter and Kidnapping Response Tips. In past years, al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has kidnapped foreign nationals in the Sahel to obtain ransom. Another terrorist group known to kidnap for ransom is Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), though that group operates primarily in Northern Mali and along the border region with Algeria, prompting foreign governments and international organizations to warn against living, traveling, or working in that region. However, kidnappings of foreigners by terrorist organizations or armed criminal groups have not happened in Algeria since 2014. Drug Crime Authorities reported a 39% increase in drug-related crimes in 2020. Reports show that authorities arrested more than 56,000 people for drug trafficking or possession, to include cannabis, heroin, cocaine, and most significantly, psychotropic drugs. Algerian law enforcement agencies continue to highlight the battle against drug-related crime in local media, particularly drugs coming from across the border with Morocco. Consult with the CIA World Factbook’s section on Illicit Drugs for country-specific information. Terrorism Environment The U.S. Department of State has assessed Algiers as being a MEDIUM-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The U.S. Department of State has included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria, indicating that terrorist attacks have occurred and/or specific threats against civilians, groups, or other targets may exist. Review the latest State Department Country Report on Terrorism for Algeria. The Institute for Economics & Peace Global Terrorism Index 2020 ranks Algeria 65 out of 163 worldwide, rating the country as having a Low impact from terrorism. Terrorism: General Threat Terrorist groups remain active throughout Algeria, though Algerian military operations over the past several years have been very successful in countering terrorist activity. Over the past five years, the government reported a total of 24 major attacks. While these groups typically target Algerian security services and local government targets, they still aspire to target Western interests. AQIM, AQIM-allied 2 groups and ISIS elements, including the Algerian affiliate locally known as Jund al-Khilafah in Algeria (JAK-A, now calling itself ISIS-Algeria), remain present, though they are assessed to have limited capabilities as a result of successful Algerian counterterrorism operations. Three major attacks occurred throughout 2020. In February, assailants targeted an army outpost in Bordj Badji Mokhtar, near the border with Mali, with a suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED). ISIS-Algeria claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed one Algerian soldier. In June, assailants ambushed an army patrol in Ain Defla, killing one, and an IED attack in Medea killed two soldiers one week later; AQIM claimed both attacks. Government sources reported nearly 250 counter- terrorism operations throughout the year which resulted in over 120 terrorists arrested or captured and over 200 hideouts discovered and destroyed. Almost all reported terrorist attacks in the past five years have targeted Algerian security forces and involved IEDs or ambush tactics as suspects actively fled through rural mountainous regions. Government media occasionally reports on successful disruption of terrorist plots. In 2021, authorities claimed they had disrupted a cell that intended to target peaceful demonstrations in several cities throughout the country. Political Violence and Civil Unrest Environment The U.S. Department of State has assessed Algiers as being a MEDIUM-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Elections/Political Stability Algeria witnessed increased social unrest in 2018. A grassroots protest movement known as the Hirak broke out across the country in late February 2019 against President Bouteflika’s decision to seek a fifth term. Bouteflika resigned in April 2019, and an interim government remained in place until presidential elections in December 2019. While social unrest continued throughout the period, demonstrations were largely peaceful. Protests came to a halt at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 but resumed in February 2021. No violence was reported during the 2019 presidential elections or the 2020 constitutional referendum, but many Hirakists and opposition political parties boycotted the votes, resulting in low voter participation. Legislative elections were held in June 2021, with the Hirak movement again calling for a boycott. Protest & Demonstration Activity Since February 2019, Algeria has witnessed weekly anti-government demonstrations in major urban centers across the country, with protestors demanding changes to what they perceive as a corrupt government. While the pandemic and restrictive social gathering measures prevented the weekly protests from occurring for most of 2020, weekly demonstrations and marches restarted again in February 2021. While these events are largely peaceful, there are reports of arbitrary arrests, detainment of journalists and media, and the use of tear gas and other anti-riot control measures. In May, the Interior Ministry imposed restrictions on street protests, mandating that organizers identify themselves and obtain permits. For more information, review OSAC’s report, Surviving a Protest. Law Enforcement Concerns: Security Agencies The Directorate General for National Security (DGSN) is the civilian police force largely responsible for cities and larger urban areas. The DGSN falls under the Interior