Africa

Tribal clashes kill two in Algeria’s Ghardaia

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Two Berber men have been killed in two days in Algeria’s Ghardaia Province, amid growing sectarian and ethnic tension in the region.

Hamou Mosbah, a local official with the opposition Socialist Front, said one of the victims was a 39-year-old man and the other was a 22-year-old student.

Mosbah said the 39-year-old man was knifed to death and disfigured despite the presence of police in the provincial capital city of Ghardaia.

Clashes in Ghardaia erupted more than a month ago between Mozabite people, who are a Berber ethnic group, and the majority Maleki Arabs.

On January 19, ethnic clashes left a 39-year-old man dead and 55 others wounded, including three police officers who had intervened to calm the situation.

The two sides of the clashes threw stones and Molotov cocktails and looted stores.

Local authorities deployed 3,000 law enforcement officers to the province to quell the violence and restore calm.

Members of the Berber community accuse the officers of siding with the Arabs and worsening the situation.

“The problem in Ghardaia is an extension of the fights taking place at the very top in Algiers. Let them leave us alone and settle scores between themselves,” said Mosbah.

Meanwhile, Algerian Minister of Interior Tayeb Belaiz has ordered to increase anti-riot forces from 3,000 to 6,000 troops.

The minister has also held talks with tribal elders from the two groups and local authorities in an attempt to reach a ceasefire

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