Algeria to launch investigations into forest fires and bank liquidity woes

Elected in December, Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been trying to bring stability after mass protests last year

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune talks to the press during a news conference in Algiers Reuters  

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday ordered an investigation into what the government called planned action to destabilise the country after a lack of bank liquidity, huge forest fires and power and water cuts.

Elected in December, Mr Tebboune has been trying to bring stability after mass protests last year toppled his predecessor, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and prompted authorities to jail officials on corruption charges.

The government is keen to contain social unrest amid financial pressure caused by a sharp fall in energy earnings, the main source of state finances in the Opec member.

Citizens in the capital, Algiers, and other cities suffered cuts to power and drinking water over the past days, mainly during the Eid Al Adha holidays on Friday and Saturday.

Some banks and post offices had long queues of people seeking to get their money for Eid, causing health problems despite instructions to practise social distancing and limit the spread of the coronavirus.

At the same time, huge forest fires ravaged hundreds of hectares throughout the country, with high summer temperatures.

Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad said it was strange that all of those problems hit in the same month.

Mr Djerad said the water shortage was caused by sabotage at a desalination plant that supplies Algiers and neighbouring provinces.

He said the fires were deliberate and several people were caught setting them, while some electricity poles were vandalised.

"There are organised actions aimed at creating discord and instability in the country," Mr Djerad said.

On Thursday, Mr Djerad set up a monitoring unit to track forest fires and efforts to prevent and control them.

The blazes peaked late last month with 66 fires reported on July 27, and civil defence helicopters were called in to extinguish them, the forestry service said.

Algeria has repeatedly experienced forest fires in recent years, but the results of a 2019 enquiry that sought to establish causes were never released.

A study by the geography journal Mediterranee found that a lack of forests and creeping desertification were making the fires particularly disastrous.

The authorities are looking for calm after last year's mass marches demanding political reforms and better living standards.

Mr Tebboune is preparing amendments to the constitution to increase freedom and give Parliament a greater role.

The protests were banned this year to limit coronavirus infections.

Mr Tebboune has also vowed to diversify the economy away from oil and gas, create jobs and provide help for the poor.