2011 Algerian self-immolations

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In 2011, as the widely reported protests sparked off by Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in Tunisia began to have a clear impact on the Tunisian government, a wave of self-immolations swept Algeria. These individual acts of protest mostly took place in front of a government building following an unsuccessful approach to the authorities. Four self-immolators died of their burns. [1] [2]

Contents

Initial incidents and first victims

It began on 12 January, when 26-year-old Mohamed Aouichia set himself on fire in Bordj Menaiel in the compound of the daira building. He had been sharing a room of 30 square metres with seven other people, including his sister, since 2003; he had repeatedly approached local authorities to get on the social housing list and been rebuffed. [3] He has so far survived.

On 13 January, Mohsen Bouterfif, a 37-year-old father of two, set himself on fire. He had gone with about twenty other youths to protest in front of the town hall of Boukhadra in Tebessa demanding jobs and houses, after the mayor refused to receive them. According to one testimony, the mayor shouted to them: "If you have courage, do like Bouazizi did, set yourself on fire!" [4] His death was reported on 16 January, and about 100 youths protested his death causing the provincial governor to sack the mayor. [5] However, hospital staff the following day claimed he was still alive, though in critical condition. [6] Al Jazeera described the suicide as "echoing the self-immolation that triggered the protests that toppled the leader of neighbouring Tunisia." [5] He finally died on 24 January at a hospital in Annaba. [7]

Following immolations

These suicides were followed by dozens more attempted or successful self-immolations across the country, so far without triggering nationwide demonstrations, most of them after the Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled his country on 14 January; cases included:

January

The Ministry of Religious Affairs responded to this wave of self-immolations by devoting the Friday sermons of 21 January to admonitions of patience and reminders that suicide is forbidden in Islam. [17] However, some cases continued to be reported over coming days:

February

[26]

October

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Algeria: Third death by self-immolation". Ennahar Online. Archived from the original on 2011-02-04. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  2. 1 2 "Jeune Afrique, 12/01/2011, Quatrième décès par immolation en Algérie, à la veille de la marche du 12 février". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 15 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  3. 1 2 "Courrier International, 21/01/2011, "Je brûle donc je suis"". Courrierinternational.com. 2011-01-21. Archived from the original on 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  4. ↑ "Le maire à Mohcin Bouterfif : " Si tu as du courage, fais comme Bouazizi, immole-toi par le feu "". Archived from the original on 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  5. 1 2 "Algerian dies from self-immolation". Archived from the original on 2011-02-17. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  6. ↑ "Vague de tentatives de suicide par le feu en Algérie". Jeune Afrique. 2001-01-17. Archived from the original on 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  7. ↑ Xinhua (2011-01-25). "Algeria reports 2nd death of self-immolation". China Daily . Retrieved 2011-02-22.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ AFP, 17/01/2011, Un Algérien s'immole par le feu Archived 2012-02-13 at the Wayback Machine , El Watan, 17/01/2011, Jijel : Le jeune Saïd évacué à Aïn Naâdja Archived 2011-01-21 at the Wayback Machine , Jijel.info, 19/11/2011, "Prions pour Saïd" Archived 2012-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ "El Watan, 18/01/2011, "Une vingtaine de harraga brûlent leur embarcation"". Elwatan.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  10. ↑ "El Watan, 17/01/2011, Un jeune a tenté de s'immoler par le feu au siège de l'APW d'El Oued". Elwatan.com. Retrieved 2011-02-01.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ AFP, 19/01/2011, Algérie: 7e tentative d'immolation par le feu dans l'est du pays Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine ; Le Temps, 19/01/2011, 3 personnes s'immolent par le feu à Dellys, Sidi Bel Abbès et El Oued Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ "El Watan, 23/01/2011, "Boumerdès : le citoyen qui s'est immolé par le feu à Dellys succombe à ses blessures"". Elwatan.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  13. ↑ "Dellys,Berriane et El-Oued, Trois autres cas d'immolation". Monde-presse.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-23. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  14. ↑ "Le Parisien, 19/01/2011, "En Algérie, un vendeur à la sauvette tente de s'immoler par le feu". Leparisien.fr. 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  15. ↑ "Immolation : Je brûle, donc je suis". El Watan (in French). 2011-01-21. Archived from the original on 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-02-17.; "Pour se plaindre de ses conditions de vie à M'Sila: Un père de famille tente de s'immoler avec ses deux enfants". Liberté (in French). 2011-01-22.[ permanent dead link ]; "Un père et ses deux enfants tentent de s'immoler à M'sila !". El Watan (in French). 2011-01-20. Archived from the original on 2011-01-23. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  16. ↑ "Immolation : Je brûle, donc je suis". El Watan (in French). 2011-01-21. Archived from the original on 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  17. ↑ "illicite"%20l’immolation%20par%20le%20feu "Les imams déclarent "illicite" l'immolation par le feu". Liberté (in French). 2011-01-22.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. ↑ "Un adolescent tente de se suicider en s'immolant par le feu à Oued Taourrira (Sidi Bel Abbès)". El Watan. 2011-01-25. Archived from the original on 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  19. ↑ Benslimane, Mehdi (2011-01-25). "Tentative d'immolation dans une caserne à Oum El Bouaghi : L'acte désespéré d'un pompier". DNA. Archived from the original on 2011-01-27. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  20. ↑ Semmar, Abderrahmane (2011-01-26). "Un jeune s'immole à Djelfa". El Watan. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  21. ↑ B., A. (2011-01-29). "Un jeune décède après s'être immolé par le feu à Bordj Bou Arréridj". El Watan. Archived from the original on 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
  22. ↑ Yacine, A. (2011-01-29). "Une seconde tentative d'immolation à Mostaganem". El Watan. Archived from the original on 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
  23. ↑ Aber, Imen (2011-01-30). "Un travailleur de la BDL tente de s'immoler par le feu à Staoueli". El Watan. Archived from the original on 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  24. ↑ Azzouzi, Hafid (2011-01-30). "Tizi Ouzou : Tentative d'immolation devant le siège de l'ADE". El Watan. Archived from the original on 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  25. ↑ A., Samira (2011-02-06). "Au moment où les chômeurs manifestaient leur ras-le-bol devant le ministère du Travail Un jeune homme tente de s'immoler". Le Temps DZ. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  26. ↑ "Algerian sets self on fire over police "disdain"". AFP. 2011-02-09. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  27. ↑ "Sidi M'hamed (Alger) : Un homme tente de s'immoler au siège de la daïra". El Watan. 2011-02-18. Archived from the original on 2011-02-19. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
  28. ↑ "Issers (Boumerdès) : Trois pères de famille tentent de s'immoler par le feu". El Watan. 2011-02-21. Archived from the original on 2011-02-25. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  29. ↑ "Student sets himself on fire over exam resit refusal". 4 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-10-20. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  30. ↑ "Homeless Algerian mother sets herself, child on fire". 8 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-10-09. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
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