Algerian Brigades

[Richard Washington]

Another bit of news from Dz - this time mobile brigades looking for tourists who dare to leave the sealed road.....

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...6337861842A426

Algiers - The Algerian government will establish mobile brigades to protect its popular prehistoric sites in the Sahara desert from thieves, customs agency director general Sid Ali Lebib said on Sunday.

The brigades will patrol the 80 000 square kilometre Tassili national park in the Sahara, which includes a number of archaeological sites and is recognised as a world heritage area by Unesco, in particular for its cave paintings, Lebib said to the Algerian press agency APS.

Five German tourists, three men and two women aged between 32 to 53, were sentenced on November 29, 2004, to three months prison after being found guilty of stealing antiquities by the court of Illizi, 1 700km south-east of Algiers.

However the case, which was widely publicised in Algeria, went to appeal on January 17 and the sentences were reduced to one month allowing the five people to walk free immediately.

At their sentencing, the five were also given heavy fines, ordered to pay damages and had their vehicles, which they had used to transport the items, impounded.

The group was reported missing November 17 in an area where 32 Europeans were kidnapped by Islamic militants last year, but were found three days later in the Sahara.

[Budrinna]

Looks to be similar to our Zirayah Shorta Shabiyas , heard in Ghat they will next future cooperate togheter in the bordering baladiyahs.

Budrinna

[Chris Scott]

I have to say if they're going to be nailing the likes of those 5 German twats who helped set back independent tourism in Alg, then good luck to them. It only refers to Tassili anyway - plenty more space in Alg.
The question is, what is there left to protect from thievery in the Tassili apart from a few potsherds and flints? - the French cleaned it out 50 years ago.

Chris