Algeria, a young and ambitious nation, is today led by a disconnected military elite, exhausted by the years, and indifferent to the aspirations of a people in search of modernity. In control of power since 1962, the Algerian military junta clings to frozen governance, crushed by senility and contempt for the contemporary dynamics that shape the world. The country, where more than 70% of the population is under 30, finds itself forced to endure the politics of worn-out men, incapable of breaking away from obsolete and oppressive patterns of power.
The management of Algeria by this archaic junta is a matter ofa real hostage-taking. While young Algerians aspire to a more open, dynamic and development-oriented society, this military mafia, made up of old men in physical and intellectual decline, persists in imposing its authoritarian vision. These “leaders”, instead of listening to the demands of a population demanding dignity, justice and development, prefer to stifle any attempt at reform and protest through a policy of fear and repression.
The Algerian economy: potential sabotaged by incompetence and oppression
With its natural resources, Algeria could be a major player in the African economy. However, this potential is systematically wasted by catastrophic management and blatant nepotism. Young talents are deprived of opportunities and driven to emigrationlack of local perspectives. Unemployment and poverty plague the most vulnerable sections of the population while military leaders wallow in insolent luxury, cut off from the economic realities of the people.
The junta prefers to focus on its geopolitical rivalries and maintain unnecessary conflictsinstead of investing in infrastructure, education and job creation for youth. It uses the remaining hydrocarbon money to fuel a system of favoritism and oppression, fueling the machine of internal repression to the detriment of the well-being of citizens.
Attempts at geopolitical diversion: a smokescreen to hide domestic failure
Rather than attending to the crucial needs of its population, the Algerian military junta diverts attention to external conflicts and maintains an aggressive policy towards its neighbors, particularly Morocco. This geopolitical obsession, maintained by outdated propaganda rhetoric, serves above all to divert attention from serious domestic problems. By stoking artificial feuds and financing separatist movements, the junta is desperate to avoid challenges to its power and its catastrophic record.
Algeria deserves much better than this senile military clique which clings to power like a relic of the past. The country needs young leadersvisionaries and determined to support the dynamism of Algerian society. Youth, the country’s main wealth, requires leaders capable of understanding and responding to their aspirations. But as long as this group of exhausted old men remains in place, the country will remain frozen in economic and political lethargy, losing talent and opportunities for growth every day.
Morocco
