News from Algeria (El Watan)

[roro]

Le wali d'Illizi enlevé lundi par trois jeunes algériens armés et identifiés, selon le ministère - Actualité - El Watan

Not a good thing, even for travellers....

RR

[roro]

Better to be a Wali than a tourist....

Le wali d'Illizi liberé par les lybiens - Actualité - El Watan

[priffe]

So the kidnapped governor of Illizi was released the next day in Libya 150 kms from the border. Will we ever know what that was all about?
Al Qaeda kidnaps Algerian governor: security sources | Reuters

Apparently he was abducted by relatives of Abou Zeid, a.k.a. Mohammed Ghdir who was born near Debdeb.
Five of his family were sentenced to 10 years prison for terrorism while AZ himself was given a life sentence in absentia in a court in Algiers earlier this month.
http://www.algerie-plus.com/actualit...kidnappe-hier/

[roro]

Another article from El Watan about visas :

Tourisme : Bienvenue dans le Grand Sud, nouvelle région fantôme - Actualité - El Watan

RR

[Chris Scott]

Not good news then from what the article says. I was wondering if tourist visas for the Grand Sud might have resumed - no answer from UK consulate today yet.

Any other nationalities enquired lately?

The article mentions issuing visas, but after the specified entry date - so in other words, useless. I know one guy who was dumped in this way in Dec - needed a 30-day visa, was eventually given a 5-day one - also useless.
It's as if they have quotas to fill re: visas. Or perhaps by not turning down your app, your app record is not sullied, so better for next time? Who knows...

Ch

[priffe]

In Stockholm, their reply in the fall was 'peut-etre'. Then in December it was 'NON'!
Now they're back to 'peut-etre' - turn in your applications, we'll send them on to Algiers and see what they say.
Difficult to do any kind of organized tourism that way.

[roro]

I've asked to Algerian consulate in Lyon (France): they told me there are new regulations, I have to ask to. my Algerian agency.
But before they believed I've phoned to ask if my visa was arrived, ask for my name and they checked in their paper...
And they told me that some tourists (all?) have obtained their visas for this winter
So I believe that it will be difficult but not impossible.
I'll try fot my next trip in October...but before October things may change in different ways!
Inch'Allah
BTW I have another question: I have asked for fares in some agency and some give me a price of 70E a day for a guide in my car, and I think it's too much expensive.
Another one is OK for 50E and I think it's also OK for me.
What is your opinion ?
RR

[gregor]

hi.

from algerian consulate in poland no answer about possibilities to obtain visas to travel south.

i recive price offer from travel agency in tam for:
100euro for a guide in my car
150euro with his car.
per day.

+6days extra payed for travelling guide from tam to tunisian border.

[Chris Scott]

I asked a London-based visa agency and was told:

... You are correct that tourist visas were suspended but are again available now...

Sounds promising.

Ch

[priffe]

I heard from Djanet today that the Tadrart is to be opened in March.

[Richard Washington]

15 SA-24 and 28 SAM-7 Russian-made man-portable surface-to-air missiles were found following info from smugglers near In Amenas. I'm hoping this won't slow down the move towards opening the SE again.

Algeria finds cache of weapons | News24

[Chris Scott]

Someone told me it was the desperate search for those missing Libyan manpads (had to look that one up) that led to the unexpected Alg visa cancellation last December.

Ch

[Richard Washington]

Not good news from Tamanrasset.
A suicide bomber drove a 4x4 full of explosives at the gerdarme base in the centre of Tam this morning (3 March 2012).

This is the first incident of its kind in Tam and the first of the stolen Libyan kit to be used in anger in Algeria. Travel warnings for Tam, if not the region, may well result.