2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in . OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Algeria. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Algeria country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password.

Travel Advisory

The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Algeria at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution due to terrorism. Do not travel to areas near the eastern and southern borders, or areas in the Sahara Desert due to terrorism and kidnapping. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System.

Overall Crime and Safety Situation

Crime Threats

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. While the government does not publish crime statistics, media and anecdotal reporting indicate that the frequency and intensity of criminal activity remains moderate. A significant percentage of crimes likely goes unreported.

The most common crimes tend to be crimes of opportunity (e.g. pickpocketing, purse snatching, burglary, and similar crimes) perpetrated by criminals who operate primarily in high-traffic and high-density areas. 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 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 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. Of note, in 2018 there were only ten reported murders in Algiers, a city of over 3.5 million residents. Review OSAC’s report, All That You Should Leave Behind, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud, Taking Credit, Hotels: The Inns and Outs, and Considerations for Hotel Security.

Cybersecurity Issues

The U.S. Embassy has seen several cases in which an Algerian man lures a U.S. woman he has met online to Algeria for marriage, and then holds her against her will in abusive situations. Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

As in most parts of the world, cybersecurity incidents continue to be a concern in Algeria. A statement identified 1,140 cybercrime cases in 2018, compared to 1,500 reported cases in 2017. The decrease in cases may be related to an increase in efforts to counter known abusers and a campaign by authorities to warn citizens. Businesses (especially banks) and social networks appear to be the top targets for fraud, blackmail, and radicalization. Review OSAC’s report, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband?

Transportation-Safety Situation

Violent extremist groups and criminal networks operate around Algeria’s nearly 4,000 miles of land borders. Terrorist activity in Libya, Tunisia, and Mali, as well as human and narcotics trafficking continue to cause concern. Weapons seizures are most common in the southern border regions, while the Algerian government has identified the western border region as increasingly burdened by drug smuggling. Due to security incidents, including al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) kidnappings, many governments around the world identify the Sahel as an area of concern.

When traveling outside of Algiers, make security arrangements and ensure reliable and experienced transportation or logistical support. In general, avoid mountainous regions in less populated and less traveled areas where security services do not have a significant presence. It is a good security practice for all travelers to check in with the local authorities. The Algerian government often requires foreign employees of foreign companies and organizations based in Algeria to contact the Foreign Affairs Ministry before traveling to the interior. The Ministry will notify local police of planned travel, and may assign police escorts. Foreigners traveling to the military zone established around the Hassi Messaoud oil center require an additional “desert pass” authorization from the Government of Algeria.

The Algerian government does not permit diplomats, including U.S. Embassy staff, to travel outside Algiers province without prior coordination. This requirement, along with local security concerns, may limit the provision of consular services in certain areas. Remain on principal highways when traveling to coastal or mountainous areas outside of Algiers.

Road Safety and Road Conditions

Road infrastructure remains insufficient for the growing number of vehicles on the roads. Traffic management resources are somewhat inadequate, and there is limited ability to expand or create new roads to alleviate congestion in large cities. The government continues to expand the number of paved roads between major urban areas.

The National Center for Prevention and Road Accidents (CNPSR) reported 22,991 road accidents nationwide in 2018 including 3,310 deaths and 32,570 injuries. This marked a decrease from 2017, when more than 3,600 people reportedly died and 36,000 were injured in road accidents. Most traffic fatalities occurred on highways, where the main factors are reckless or unskilled drivers, lack of respect for traffic laws, lack of enforcement, and lack of sufficient lighting. Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

Police and military checkpoints are common on major roads in large cities and throughout the countryside. Law enforcement personnel routinely stop and inspect vehicles for security purposes and traffic law compliance. During times of heightened security, the number of vehicle checkpoints and police often increases.

Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad.

Public Transportation Conditions

There are numerous taxi services in major cities, to include several radio-dispatch taxis and new digital app services such as Yassir in Algiers. Traditional taxi services are of questionable reliability and exhibit inconsistent service. Avoid hailing taxis on the street, as accountability of the driver is difficult and picking up multiple passengers is common. Due to concerns about crime and mechanical safety, carefully consider the risks of using buses.

Trains operate between cities in the coastal regions of Algeria (although not inter-country) and are generally safe and reliable. There is a new urban railway in Algiers that runs along the coast and is clean and well-policed. A well-maintained urban metro rail line in Algiers has limited usefulness, as it only passes through coastal neighborhoods. Review OSAC’s report, Security In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights.

Aviation/Airport Conditions

Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG), which provides international and national flights, is located in Dar el Beïda, east of Algiers. The airport adheres to international air safety standards and management of flight operations. While security procedures and resources are not on par with U.S. airports, security personnel are present and active. The government has taken steps to improve airport security in recent years, to include building a more modern international terminal opened in 2019.

Terrorism Threat

Local, Regional, and International Terrorism Threats/Concerns

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. Terrorist groups remain active in the Sahara region. AQIM, AQIM-allied groups, and ISIS elements, including the Algerian affiliate locally known as Jund al-Khilafah in Algeria (JAK-A, now calling itself ISIS-Algeria), are present. These groups aspire to attack Algerian security services, local government targets, and Western interests. Almost all reported terrorist attacks in 2018 targeted Algerian security forces and involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or ambush tactics as suspects actively fled through rural mountainous regions.

Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

Most of these attacks occurred in the east extending to the borders with Tunisia. This includes two February 2018 IED attacks targeting military detachments near Khenchela and Tebessa, which led to the death of seven soldiers. It also includes the deadliest attack of 2018, a July ambush in that resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers and at least 14 additional injuries. The western part of the country also witnessed a resumption of terrorist activity, specifically in Sidi Bel Abbas, following the assassination of two imams inside a mosque in May. The ensuing police operation hunting the ISIS-affiliated group (previously split from AQIM) resulted in the death of a soldier and the injury of seven others in an IED blast. Of special note, the attacks conducted in 2018 were generally absent any official claims by terrorist groups, unlike in previous years when groups usually claimed credit for acts of terror immediately.

The government continues to eliminate terrorist activity with a large, capable security apparatus. Through numerous sweeping operations, the National Army reportedly killed 30 terrorists in 2018. The most significant operation occurred in Khenchela in January, when authorities killed eight terrorists, including prominent AQIM leaders from Tunisia attempting to unify factions still in Algeria. Similarly, the group suffered a significant loss in January with the elimination of their propaganda chief in province. In addition to those notable losses, reporting indicated police arrested 56 terrorists nationwide, and a record number (129) of militants laid down arms and surrendered, the majority of whom operated in the south of the country.

Despite positive indicators, reports warn against the immediate cross-border threats to Algeria, including the possible presence of 4,000 Libyan violent extremists near the border. The security situation in Tunisia also remains of concern, highlighted by an attack on a military patrol close to the Algerian border causing the death of six Tunisian soldiers in July and provoking an emergency Algerian military deployment. Overall, the combined Algerian security services apprehended more than 250 terrorist supporters in 2018, but the number of terrorists reportedly killed decreased in comparison to 2017, when authorities eliminated 90 terrorists.

Authorities continued to foil terror plots throughout 2018. The western wilaya of was at the center of multiple major anti-terror investigations. Authorities dismantled an ISIS-affiliated network planning to target oil facilities in the south in February, as well as a terror support network in May. Authorities in March thwarted a terror plan in Mascara by a dormant cell of 11 intended terrorists named “the Lone Wolves.” Most recently, authorities dismantled a dormant ISIS-affiliated cell in through the arrests of two former Algerian soldiers dismissed from service in 2016; both former soldiers were reportedly in touch with active ISIS chiefs aboard, who instructed them via social media to collect detailed information regarding foreigners living in Algeria and monitor their activities.

Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

Weapon seizures increased in 2018, with the army recovering almost 700 firearms and additional dangerous materiel, including explosives, grenades, and RPGs. The security forces destroyed more than 500 hideouts in various regions throughout the year—particularly in the border regions of the southern desert in Adrar and Tamanrasset. Authorities seized heavy artillery as recently as December in the deep desert, including air-to-surface missiles smuggled for local terror groups through regional weapon- smuggling networks. Increasing military action at the border reportedly cut the main trafficking routes, with the summer 2018 establishment of additional watchtowers, patrols, and trenches. This corresponds with the record number of terrorists surrendering, increased seizure of weapons, and high number of terrorist hideouts located and destroyed in 2018.

Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment

Although reporting continues to identify terrorists aspiring to attack Western targets in Algeria, there have not been any terror attacks against foreign nationals in Algeria since the 2014 abduction and beheading of a French citizen in a remote area of the Kabylie region by an ISIS-affiliated group. One year prior, an al-Qa’ida-linked organization attacked a gas production facility at In Amenas, near the Libyan border, holding foreign and Algerian workers hostage. Dozens died during that large attack, including three U.S. citizens.

Political, Economic, Religious, and Ethnic Violence

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. Algeria witnessed increased social unrest in 2018. Protests broke out across the country in late February 2019 against President Bouteflika’s decision to seek a fifth term. Bouteflika resigned in April, and the speaker of the upper house of parliament, Abdelkader Bensalah, became interim head of state. Bensalah remained in office beyond the 90-day constitutional limit until Algerians elected former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune as the country's new president in December 2019. Review OSAC’s report, Surviving a Protest.

Religious/Ethnic Violence

Religious and ethnic violence in Algeria is exceedingly rare. An exception was the Ghardaia valley in southern Algeria, where conflict between the minority Mozabite Ibadi Muslims and the majority-Arab Malikite Muslims flared in 2015; street clashes between the two communities resulted in substantial material damage and human casualties in Ghardaia province. There were only minor issues in the region since 2017; however, law enforcement maintains a heavy presence in Ghardaia to monitor for instability. Review OSAC’s report, Freedom to Practice, and the State Department’s webpage on security for faith- based travelers.

Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

Post-specific Concerns

Environmental Hazards

Algeria, and particularly Algiers, is located in an earthquake zone. The country experienced 60 earthquakes in 2018 registering magnitudes of between 2.5 and 5.0 on the Richter scale. Algeria experiences air pollution in major cities, soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices, desertification, and inadequate supplies of potable water. The dumping of raw sewage, petroleum- refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; the Mediterranean Sea, in particular, is becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff.

Critical Infrastructure

The media does not report industrial accidents regularly. The ability of local authorities to deal with industrial accidents appears limited. In the oil sector, the government depends heavily upon resources imported by foreign oil companies and private organizations.

Personal Identity Concerns

Women walking along the streets in Algeria may experience sexual harassment from passing motorists and pedestrians. Review the State Department’s webpage on security for female travelers.

The law criminalizes public indecency and consensual same-sex sexual relations between adult men and women with penalties that include imprisonment of six months to three years and a fine of DZD 1,000 to DZD 10,000 ($8.50 to $85). The law also stipulates penalties that include imprisonment of two months to two years and fines of DZD 500 to DZD 2,000 ($4.25 to $17) for anyone convicted of having committed a “homosexual act.” If a minor is involved, the adult may face up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of DZD 10,000 ($85). LGBTI+ activists reported that the vague wording of laws criminalizing “homosexual acts” and “acts against nature” permitted sweeping accusations that resulted in multiple arrests for consensual same-sex sexual relations, but there were no known prosecutions in 2019. LGBTI+ status is not illegal, but LGBTI+ persons may face criminal prosecution under legal provisions concerning prostitution, public indecency, and associating with bad characters. NGOs report that judges give harsher sentences to LGBTI+ persons. Review the State Department’s webpage on security for LGBTI+ travelers.

Islam is the state religion of Algeria. The Algerian government allows non-Muslim religious worship only in structures exclusively intended and approved for such purpose. Activities such as proselytizing and encouraging conversion to a faith other than Islam are illegal. Penalties may include fines and imprisonment. Review OSAC’s report, Freedom to Practice, and the State Department’s webpage on security for faith-based travelers.

Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

Physical accessibility and accommodations tend to be lacking. The condition of sidewalks and streets is often poor, and there are almost no curb cuts or other modifications made for wheelchairs. Street curbs in Algeria may stand much higher than those in the U.S.; a person in a wheelchair would require significant assistance in negotiating curbs. Hotels, restaurants, and most government buildings are not accessible to persons with physical disabilities. Restrooms and elevators rarely can accommodate wheelchairs. Very few vehicles, including buses and taxis, are accessible for persons with physical disabilities. Review the State Department’s webpage on security for travelers with disabilities.

Drug-related Crimes

In 2018, authorities arrested early 45,000 people, including foreign nationals, for drug-related offenses, a major jump from 2017. This likely reflects an increased emphasis on drug crimes by law enforcement officials. Algerian law enforcement continues to highlight the battle against drug-related crime in local media; several high-profile drug-related cases dominated headlines in 2018.

Kidnapping Threat

AQIM has kidnapped foreign nationals in the Sahel to obtain ransom. The Algerian Association for Defense of the Rights of Children (NADA) recorded three victims and 56 attempts of child kidnappings nationwide within the first six months of 2018. Algerian law enforcement has implemented a security plan to cope with this phenomenon by deploying plain-clothes policemen at schools and in the neighborhoods where disappearances are more common, and implementing a toll-free hotline (104). Kidnappings and the threat of kidnappings have prompted foreign governments and international organizations to warn against living, traveling, or working in that region. Kidnappings of foreigners by terrorist organizations or armed criminal groups have not happened since 2014. Review OSAC’s report, Kidnapping: The Basics.

Other Issues

Review OSAC’s report, Picture This: Dos and Don’ts for Photography.

Read the State Department’s webpage on and import restrictions for information on what you cannot take into or out of other countries.

Police Response

Review the State Department’s webpage on security for female travelers, LGBTI+ travelers, and travelers with disabilities.

The police emergency lines in Algeria are 1548 and 17; for gendarmes, call 1055. Reliability and response time of emergency services varies, but is not up to U.S. standards. Emergency operators generally speak Arabic and French, but normally do not speak English. For local first responders, refer to the Embassy’s Emergency Assistance page.

Police can be slow to notify embassies or consulates following the arrest of a foreign national. U.S. citizens may request permission to communicate with the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers, but should not expect to contact the Embassy proactively. Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

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 Ministry, and is responsible for police activities such as maintaining law and order, conducting criminal investigations, combating terrorism and organized crime, and routine police functions such as traffic control.

The National Gendarmerie force falls under the National Defense Ministry, and is responsible for maintaining law and order and providing police services in more rural areas. It plays an important role in internal security efforts in combating terrorism and organized crime. Algerian Customs works closely with the police and gendarme at border points enforcing import laws and regulations.

Download the State Department’s Crime Victims Assistance brochure.

Medical Emergencies

In Algiers, inform the police first in the event of an emergency. The police will advise the local hospital to send an ambulance. Medical expertise and resources vary. The best hospitals are military run, but these are not often open to the public. If a visitor does not have contacts or established medical resources, an ambulance will likely take them to the closest medical facility. For medical assistance, refer to the Embassy’s Medical Assistance page.

Consider purchasing travel, health, and medical evacuation (medevac) insurance before travel. The U.S. Department of State strongly recommends purchasing international health insurance before traveling internationally. Review the State Department’s webpage on insurance overseas.

The Algerian government restricts the importation of certain pharmaceuticals for commercial resale. In addition, medicines may be have different brand names with different dosages from those sold in the United States. Some newer medications may not yet be available in Algeria.

Tuberculosis occurs regularly but does not reach endemic levels. Every summer, public health authorities report limited occurrences of water-borne diseases, such as typhoid. HIV/AIDS is a concern in Algeria. In August 2018 the Ministry of Health announced a cholera outbreak in northern parts of the country in around Algiers province, lasting approximately two months.

The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance for Algeria.

Review OSAC’s reports, The Healthy Way, Traveling with Medication, I’m Drinking What in My Water?, Shaken: The Don’ts of Alcohol Abroad, Health 101: How to Prepare for Travel, and Fire Safety Abroad.

OSAC Country Council Information

The Algiers Country Council meets biannually. Interested private-sector security managers should contact OSAC’s Middle East and North Africa Team with any questions, or to join.

Algeria 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report

U.S. Embassy Contact Information

5 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, District of Algiers Hours of Operation: Sunday-Thursday, 0800-1700, with services for U.S. citizens by appointment. A duty officer is available for after-hours emergencies. Website: https://dz.usembassy.gov Phone number (including after hours): +213 (0) 770-08-2000 Regional Security Office: +213 (0) 770-08-2168

Helpful Information

Before you travel, consider the following resources:

• OSAC Risk Matrix • OSAC Travelers Toolkit • State Department Traveler’s Checklist • Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)