Algeria Revisited

Letter from North Africa Algeria R evisited ERIK v. When I last visited Algeria seven years ago it was part of metropolitan France. Today the République Dé- mocratique et Populaire Algérienne ~seems little changed since 1960. Land- ing at Dar el Beida seems like an ar- rival in a South European coun- toy it not in France itself. Here, as in Al- giers, Arab in- scriptions and posters are ex- ceedingly rare. There are few Arab newspapers (some bearing Arab names have French text). The bookstores feature books in French, and whether the reading public’s preference for Arab authors writing in French—as suggested by the win- dow displays—is genuine is a matter of conjecture. Only in the course of further walks – around Algiers does one become aware of a number of changes. Once a rich city, it now appears shabby. Of

million Pieds-Noirs (as the French Algerians were called) who not only held good jobs and had money to spend but also employed others, less than a hundred thousand yemain. But there are now more than 45,000. coopérants in the country, met- ropolitan Frenchmen who serve as advisers, specialists, technicians and, above all, teachers. Spoken French is here to stay, just as English will remain in India. French is taught along with Arabic in the elementary schools and it dominates at the uni- versity level. Educated Algerians often talk French with one another and students mix the two principal languages in conversation. When one asks the time, the answer is almost always given in French. There is considerable unemploy- ment, and living standards have gone down appreciably over the last few years. One often sees Algerians of | very humble means living in formerly elegant French quarters. While there i KUEHNELT-LEDDIHN are signs of lingering bitterness caused by the “War of Liberation,” there appears to be remarkably little animosity against the French.

EK

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Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn

Letter from North Africa Algeria R evisited ERIK v. When I last visited Algeria seven years ago it was part of metropolitan France. Today the République Dé- mocratique et Populaire Algérienne ~seems little changed since 1960. Land- ing at Dar el Beida seems like an ar- rival in a South European coun- toy it not in France itself. Here, as in Al- giers, Arab in- scriptions and posters are ex- ceedingly rare. There are few Arab newspapers (some bearing Arab names have French text). The bookstores feature books in French, and whether the reading public’s preference for Arab authors writing in French—as suggested by the win- dow displays—is genuine is a matter of conjecture. Only in the course of further walks – around Algiers does one become aware of a number of changes. Once a rich city, it now appears shabby. Of

million Pieds-Noirs (as the French Algerians were called) who not only held good jobs and had money to spend but also employed others, less than a hundred thousand yemain. But there are now more than 45,000. coopérants in the country, met- ropolitan Frenchmen who serve as advisers, specialists, technicians and, above all, teachers. Spoken French is here to stay, just as English will remain in India. French is taught along with Arabic in the elementary schools and it dominates at the uni- versity level. Educated Algerians often talk French with one another and students mix the two principal languages in conversation. When one asks the time, the answer is almost always given in French. There is considerable unemploy- ment, and living standards have gone down appreciably over the last few years. One often sees Algerians of | very humble means living in formerly elegant French quarters. While there i KUEHNELT-LEDDIHN are signs of lingering bitterness caused by the “War of Liberation,” there appears to be remarkably little animosity against the French.