Algeria: tourism of blood

I remember that a few years ago I was about to travel to Saidia, one of the most important tourist destinations in North Africa, for a group holiday with university classmates. For various reasons that are not relevant, that trip never came to pass, but one of the first things that comes to mind when the idea of the trip came to mind was having looked at the map of the area on the internet where, in addition to the presence of the numerous hotels and resorts that exist, bathed by the warm waters of the Mediterranean, I was struck by the proximity to the Algerian coastal border. So much so that it is almost embedded in Saidia itself, in turn acting as a dividing line with the Algerian town of Marsa Ben M'Hidi, just a few hundred metres away.

Having made the clarification on the ground, I also remember that in that trip project, the hotel offered all kinds of holiday activities, including some aquatic experiences, specifically some with jet skis. I, who am far from being an expert in the handling of this type of craft, in a hypothetical holiday context could have made an exception and encouraged myself to try out the experience of having fun with jet skis. Now I learn that, had I done so, I could also have been machine-gunned and viciously killed by Algerian soldiers just for the "crime" of being absent-minded or not knowing how to handle the aforementioned nautical contraption properly.

A few days ago, two French-Moroccan men, Bilal Kissi and Abdelali Mechouar, were shot dead by Algerian coastguards. A third, Ismael Sanabi, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after a judicial process of suspicious and unprecedented speed and lack of transparency. A fourth managed to escape. In an area where the border is a matter of a few metres, the impunity, arbitrariness and "trigger-happy" behaviour of the mindless Algerian coastguard sends shivers down the spine. The victims were Moroccans, but also French, citizens of the European Union, shot by subordinates of the Algerian military dictatorship, whose pulse does not tremble in these matters, in a clear violation - yet another - of human rights committed by that regime. Without prior warning, without a shot in the air, they were simply executed. This is how the only survivor, Mohamed Kissi, told the story. The Algerian baseness and cruelty went so far as to threaten not to hand over one of the bodies to the family if they spoke about the incident to the press.

Reactions were swift. The Human Rights Council denounced the events, asking "why the Algerian maritime authorities resorted to the use of bullets and live ammunition against unarmed people, who posed no threat or imminent danger to life", and "a flagrant violation of international standards and international law and human rights". The French prosecutor's office has also opened an investigation into the circumstances of the attack that resulted in the death of its citizens. The case is in the hands of the criminal brigade of the Paris judicial police. Even the British Foreign Office issued a statement warning its citizens in the wake of the incident.

And what has been said in Spain on this issue? Very little. Just a few lines for information and in an aseptic way. In a country like this, where the Spanish and Moroccan security forces and bodies are regularly and furiously criticised by the political and media left for border issues, one is no longer surprised to find once again such a media vacuum. This time with the aggravating factor that the events took place in an area frequented by numerous European and Spanish tourists. But of course, it was the Algerian border guards. There is no interest, or rather no interest in bothering them.

I certainly hope and pray that this will not have any negative impact on local tourism. I know that Saidia is a wonderful place, and will continue to be a leading place in the Moroccan tourist industry. But once again we have seen what a life is worth to the dictatorial Algerian regime, and we must remember that. They were just simple tourists who made a mistake. And they showed no mercy. But it could have been anyone, even the writer of these lines on that trip I never made.