Christian communities in northcentral Algeria have been kicked out of their own church buildings at the hands of police just days after area Christians protested the government’s crackdown on churches.
31 May 2021
A historic church building in Algeria that was appropriated by a local authority has been returned to the Church.
The building, in the port city of Mostaganem, is one of several places of worship of historical significance requisitioned for secular use.
The Église Protestante d’Algérie (EPA), the organisation representing the Protestant Church in Algeria, had campaigned for over ten years for such buildings to be returned to Church ownership. Long-drawn-out court cases have been pursued to oblige those using the buildings to return them.
The historic building in Mostaganem has been returned to the Church after a decade [Image credit: Middle East Concern]
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World body challenges North African nation over its treatment of Christians, while local evangelical leaders take heart in renewed protests.
Jayson Casper| Image: STR / picture alliance / Getty Images
People in Algiers wave a big Algerian flag during a protest held today to mark the second anniversary of the mass demonstrations, commonly known as the Hirak Movement, that pushed long-time ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika out of office in April 2019.
Algeria’s Christians hope that a one-two punch may reopen their churches.
Last December, a letter from the United Nations asked the North African government to give account. And this week, popular protests resumed after crackdowns and a pandemic-related hiatus.