Zawaya

Azzeddine Bensouiah

Azzeddine Bensouiah is a journalist at “Liberté”, a national daily newspaper. He studied at Algiers School of Journalism in the mid eighties, and witnessed the transition of his country from the single-party system to a multi-party one. Bensouiah has worked for various foreign news agencies, and covered political events and major happenings in the region.

Opinions by this panelist

Polls and calculation parameters of violence: Between data manipulation and reality

Although terrorist violence has been clearly declining in recent years in Algeria, the terrorist threat is still looming, and terrorist groups might carry out attacks at any moment. In plain numbers, when terrorism was at its peak in the mid… more

Marriage through the Internet: When fad becomes a need

Marriage through the Internet has become a need, or more of a providential action, in Algeria, a country that's in quest for a society model. The spread of the Internet in Algeria has provided young people on the lookout for… more

The longstanding struggle of Algerian women

Talking about the status of Algerian women entails the risk of being subjective. In fact their status, as it is, is variously assessed. If we rely on the realistic language of figures, we must admit that Algerian women have a… more

Criminalizing abortion encourages all kinds of blunders

The legalization of abortion is not imminent in Algeria. Women's advocacy groups tried to identify the problem a few years ago, but they could not go beyond findings. Official and independent surveys show, however, that abortion is remarkably increasing, and… more

A turning point in the history of the conflict

The dismantling of the Gdeim Izik camp, near Laayoune, by the Moroccan armed forces caused victims, created media hype and stirred several international reactions. This marked a turning point in the Western Sahara conflict. Regardless of what happened during the… more

Counter-terrorism fight is first the peoples' responsibility

The emergence of terrorism caught countries off guard, as they weren't prepared for it on the security level, and their response took a long time to effectively be organized. Fighting this new phenomenon requires more than just adequate training for… more

Tricky transition

The transitional government that was heavily criticized by the protesters, has finally gained some acceptance, and is now facing the challenge of simultaneously managing public services and satisfying the demands of citizens. Many Tunisians are anxiously wondering whether they should… more

Contributing to development comes after requests for change

The wind of change blowing through the Arab world in general, and the Maghreb in particular, is putting forward the dominant position of the youth who are controlling more expression areas, especially those using new communication technologies. Social networks are… more

Military cooperation is vital

The Maghreb ought to reinvent itself and plan its common future differently. Common security holds a prominent place amongst the most pressing issues to address. The geo-strategic positioning of the region's countries exposes them to an endless stream of threats,… more

Libyan conflict puts the Sahel on powder keg

The Sahel, which is already grappling with Al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups, is threatened now more than ever by the Libyan conflict. Since the outset of the conflict in Libya, Algerian and American counter-terrorism experts cautioned against the free movement of… more

The Maghreb is holding its breath after bin Laden's death

Osama bin Laden's death is expected to have several direct or indirect implications on terrorist activities in the Maghreb. The most pessimistic analysts believe that the region will turn into a new Afghanistan, while the most optimistic ones shed light… more

Human Rights in the Maghreb: the wheel of history is unstoppable

After a great deal of hesitation, Maghreb States have been successively complying with international human rights conventions. As the saying goes, better late than never. However, the Maghreb's decision to respect international laws and human rights is well-timed, since the… more

Separation of powers: Maturity of Maghreb democracies

Maghreb countries are embarking on the path of separation of powers. Admittedly, the winds of the Arab revolution have accelerated the process, but the Maghreb's innate characteristics helped the changes that have been slowly carried out for years now reach… more

Security calls for development in the Sahel

Sahel leaders finally realized that security in this vast desert region calls for development. The Sahel was left in the hands of Tuareg rebels and smugglers for too long, until it became the soft underbelly of terrorism. AQIM-affiliated groups found… more

The diaspora never broke off contact with its home country

The Maghreb diaspora - settled mainly in Europe - has long been forgotten or marginalized, but it made no secret of its desire to get involved in the future of its homeland, if trusted. The global economic crisis is strongly… more

When the state is away, radicalism will play

Maghreb societies cannot be isolated from the unstoppable progress. When Algeria was under the one-party system, some deputies asked to blur satellite reception in order to protect the people from the "Western cultural invasion". At the time, Islamic radicalism was… more

Secularism is not synonymous with atheism

Can an Islamist party run a secular state? An affirmative answer often evokes the Turkish example. Ennahda's overwhelming victory in Tunisia triggers the same question, knowing that its leader has always claimed that the Turkish model was inspired by his… more

Dominance through presence, not silence

In the elections, there is no worse attitude than a boycott. The elections should be an additional opportunity for the youth - who have been active for months - to establish themselves as an unwavering force of proposals. The winds… more

Democracy is the only defense against corruption

Maghreb countries rank among the most corrupt countries in the world. This is hardly surprising, given the state of democracy in these countries and, by extension, of the entire legal system supposed to deal with this phenomenon. Authoritarian regimes are… more

The arduous path to peace

Libyans got rid of a dictator, but they have not established democracy yet. The insurgents are still fighting over historical legitimacy, and each clan is trying to elbow its way into the future political spectrum, even if that requires using… more

The Tuaregs are getting involved in the Sahel crisis

Fears are now confirmed, the Tuareg factions - once supported by Colonel Kadhafi - fled Libya towards northern Mali, thus threatening the central government to go back to the starting point of the conflict between the Tuareg rebels and the… more

Let's let young people express themselves!

In the Maghreb, like everywhere else in the world, young people aspire to better and active participation in their societies. However, the region's governments often neglect the opinions, dreams and concerns of the youth. Governments and political parties believe that… more

Will Mali ignite the Sahel powder keg?

Mali is in turmoil. Touareg rebels back from Libya are taking over entire cities in the north. The military coup adds just another level of complexity to the situation. Already confronted with a revolt by Touaregs in the north, with… more

An election like no other

Algeria is about to experience an election like no other. Taking place in the wake of the Arab Spring, the forthcoming poll should enable Algeria to implement the necessary reforms to transition to democracy without any violence or damage. But… more

Let's turn barriers into bridges

The Mali crisis is reviving the challenging issue of how to manage Algeria’s long borders with its neighbors, especially in times of instability. The Algerian and Malian governments had long collaborated in peacetime, during severe droughts in the Sahel and… more

Criminals turn to the web

Cyber crime is growing in Algeria, thanks to the ease of internet access and the legal vacuum regarding the protection of personal data on the web. The anonymity of the internet is a real danger, especially on social networks. These… more

A terror 'nebula' disintegrates

Even before a drone strike earlier this month eliminated Abu Yahya al-Libi, al-Qaeda had been considering a move from Waziristan. The death of the top al-Qaeda figure known as "Younis al-Sahrawi" delivered a crippling blow to a terrorist organisation already… more

Ignorance drives attacks on Sufi tombs

Religious extremists have never hidden their intention to reign as absolute masters over lands where they have support. Indeed, in Muslim societies, there are institutions as old as the states themselves. These religious institutions, founded by erudite scholars who created… more

Islamists turn globalisation into opportunity

The advent of satellite channels onto the Arab media landscape has been a boon for radical Islamists. Unable to keep pace with the rapid evolution of this new communication medium, Maghreb governments left the field open for extremists to launch… more

Maghreb region will feel repercussions for years to come

The success of a revolution is not measured in the short term. There were indeed some immediate results, such as the fall of dictators and the promise of new beginnings, but the main work is yet to come. Libya may… more

Ignorance is a fertile ground for intolerance

It was believed that the Arab Spring would start a new era of democracy and freedom of speech. The winds of freedom that blew over the Arab world instead strengthened the most radical Islamist movements, who took advantage of the… more

To the root of evil

Countries facing the threat of terrorism know that an exclusively security-based approach to this phenomenon will not solve the problem. Any expert on the subject can tell you that as well: a single person armed with a pistol or wearing… more