Job seekers protest in Algeria’s oil-rich region

Protesters in Algeria’s oil-rich southern province of Ouargla have blocked roads and burnt tyres in the main city to demand jobs and development in the region.

Ouargla hosts 71% of the country’s oil reserves.

But the local population feel their region does not receive a fair share of the development and public services compared to the northern parts of the country.

The protesters say state-owned oil company Sonatrach – the biggest employer in the south – hires most of its staff, including unskilled workers, from the north.

It is also estimated that poverty in the southern parts of Algeria is twice as high as the northern region.

BBC