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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."

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Three Algerians Charged in Kidnapping of Opposition Figure in France

Amir Boukhors (social media)
Amir Boukhors (social media)
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Three Algerians Charged in Kidnapping of Opposition Figure in France

Amir Boukhors (social media)
Amir Boukhors (social media)

Three men, including an employee at the Algerian consulate in France, were indicted in Paris on suspicion of involvement in the April 2024 kidnapping of Amir Boukhors, an opponent of the Algerian regime, judicial sources told AFP on Saturday.

The three men were charged Friday in Paris with kidnapping and unlawful detention in relation to a terrorist organization, as well as participation in a criminal terrorist conspiracy, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).

Later, a French judge ruled that all three be placed in pre-trial detention.

One of the suspects works for an Algerian consulate in France. While he holds a service passport rather than a diplomatic one, the issue of diplomatic immunity is expected to be addressed during the proceedings, a source close to the case told AFP.

Boukhors, a well-known critic of the Algerian regime, had previously survived two serious attacks — one in 2022 and another on the evening of April 29, 2024, according to his lawyer, Eric Plouvier.

The kidnapping, which initially fell under the jurisdiction of the Créteil prosecutor’s office, was later taken over by PNAT in February 2025.

“This shift to an anti-terror investigation shows that a foreign power, Algeria, did not hesitate to carry out violent acts on French soil — acts of intimidation and terror that threaten lives,” Plouvier said, calling the case a “state affair.”

Neither of the suspects’ attorneys responded to AFP requests for comment.

Boukhors’ name also surfaced in a separate probe by the Paris prosecutor’s office.

In that case, a French Economy Ministry employee was indicted in December for allegedly providing confidential information about Algerian dissidents — including Boukhors — to an Algerian national working at the Algerian consulate in Créteil.

According to sources, some of the individuals targeted in that investigation later became victims of violence, death threats, or abduction attempts.

The latest developments between the two countries coincided with the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron, who said last Friday he is “confident” on the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, sentenced to five years in prison in Algeria.

Sansal’s case is under “special attention” by Algerian authorities, Macron commented during a visit to the Paris Book Festival, adding that the evolution of the case makes him confident that the writer would soon be released.

“I am confident because I know that there is particular attention. I am simply waiting for the results,” Macron said.

He added, “Our strongest wish is for the Algerian authorities to make the decision that will allow him to regain his freedom, receive treatment, and return to writing.”

Observers believe that the decision to charge the three Algerian men in France would disrupt the fresh efforts to revive bilateral relations between Paris and Algiers, particularly following the March 31 phone call between Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who voiced their willingness to repair relations and after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said last week that ties with Algeria were back to normal.