Tebboune Vows Better Living Conditions for Algerians

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (AFP)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (AFP)
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Tebboune Vows Better Living Conditions for Algerians

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (AFP)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (AFP)

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune pledged on Thursday to enhance the country’s returns and improve the living conditions of Algerians, indicating a 47 percent increase in salaries early next year, the German News Agency said.

He said that 2023 will see "better achievements and the improvement of living conditions.” His remarks came during the opening of the 5th province governors' meeting in Algiers.

Tebboune said his country’s economic growth is projected to reach 5 percent in 2023 after it amounted to 4.1 percent in 2022.

He also revealed that the current foreign exchange reserves had increased to over $60 billion, while the import bill has decreased to $36 billion after it reached an annual average of $63 billion in the past years.

“The economy is now based on production, not on imports. Algeria is witnessing a clear social and economic dynamics,” Tebboune affirmed, noting that 2023 is "the year of efficiency, raising the standard of living, increasing the purchasing power of the citizen, and of reducing inflation.”

He also said that the State is trying to fight corruption and protect citizens from the consequences of global economic fluctuations.

He indicated that several decisions taken by local governors helped build between 600 and 700 micro, small, medium and large economic units, and create 52,000 jobs at a time when the world is witnessing an economic downturn.

He also revealed that an Algerian factory will be launched this year to produce sugar which will be sold directly to consumers, in addition to the production of olive oil.

The President then called on Algerians saving money outside banks to deposit them back in the country’s banks. He pledged a thousand guarantees to protect citizens and the national economy, saying there are banks that deal in Islamic banking.

Addressing the file of recovering the looted funds, the President said Algerians followed the scary numbers of looted money, and that huge amounts of funds were found with one single family.

The President added, “We insist on fighting corruption and corruptors, Algeria will remain a state of justice and law,” stressing that the country “will not collapse despite enemy plots."



From Muscat, Grundberg Pressures Houthis to Release UN Staff

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg visits Houthi-held Sanaa (AFP) 
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg visits Houthi-held Sanaa (AFP) 
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From Muscat, Grundberg Pressures Houthis to Release UN Staff

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg visits Houthi-held Sanaa (AFP) 
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg visits Houthi-held Sanaa (AFP) 

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg visited Muscat on Sunday to address the detention by Houthis of UN personnel operating in Yemen, a behavior that sparked wide-scale international condemnation and described by Washington as a “terrorist act.”

Last Friday, the United Nations said the Iran-backed Houthis had detained seven UN personnel. Earlier, it said the arrests had taken place in the area of capital Sanaa.

The latest round of arbitrary arrests pushed the UN to suspend all official movement of its staff into or within Houthi-held areas to protect their safety.

For its part, the legitimate government renewed request to the United Nations to relocate its main offices from Sanaa to Yemen's temporary capital, Aden.

On Sunday, a statement from Grundberg’s office said the envoy met in Muscat with “senior Omani officials” and Mohammed Abdul Salam, spokesman for the Iran-backed Houthis.

“They addressed the recent arbitrary detention of additional United Nations personnel adding to the numerous others already held by Houthis,” the statement said, referring to the Houthis.

Grundberg then “reiterated the firm stance” of UN secretary general Antonio Guterres “strongly condemning these detentions and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff.”

The statement also called for the freeing of “personnel from international and national non-governmental organizations, civil society and diplomatic missions held since June 2024, as well as those held since 2021 and 2023.”

Western Condemnation

The US State Department condemned the capture of additional UN staff by Houthi militants in Yemen.

In a statement, the department said, “These actions come amid the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of terror that includes taking hundreds of UN, NGO, and diplomatic staff members, including dozens of current and former Yemeni staff of the US government.

It called for the release of all detainees, including seven UN workers captured on Thursday, and decried the “campaign of terror” by the militant group.

“This latest Houthi roundup demonstrates the bad faith of the terrorist group’s claims to seek de-escalation and also makes a mockery of their claims to represent the interests of the Yemeni people,” the State Department said.

It added that the Houthis have failed to commit to ceasing attacks on regional states, US service members and all maritime traffic in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

It recalled that the President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) recognizes these realities and will hold the group accountable for its reckless attacks and actions.

Also, the EU expressed its support for the statement issued by the UN Secretary-General and strongly condemned the latest round of arbitrary arrests carried out by the Houthis against UN staff working in Yemen.

The EU said it joins the calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN staff, NGO workers, and diplomatic missions personnel detained by the Houthis.

It also noted that these arrests jeopardize the delivery of much-needed humanitarian and development assistance to the Yemeni people.

In separate statements, the French and Germany foreign ministries also condemned the new wave of arbitrary arrests carried out by the Houthi group and called for the immediate and unconditional release of detainees.

Calls To Relocate UN Offices in Yemen

In response to the latest round of Houthi arrests, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry said the situation in Yemen is utterly calamitous, with the Houthi militias’ abduction of 13 employees of UN agencies, international and local non-governmental organizations in Sanaa.

It then described the Houthi behavior as “an egregious example of their blatant disdain for human rights and international law” that poses a significant threat to the lives and security of these employees.

The Ministry then called on the United Nations to relocate all its offices to the southern city of Aden.