4/6/19 Algeria (International Christian Concern) After twenty years as President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika agreed on Monday to step down, yielding to weeks of mass demonstrations demanding his resignation and the end of the ailing system he led. He has renounced to a new candidacy in a letter, but has also postponed the elections. Algerian Christians pray that the tensions caused by the postponement of the presidential election will result in a peaceful political transition.

After ascending to the presidency in 1999, Bouteflika won a range of electoral processes easily, under the protection of the National Liberation Front, the party in power since the independence of the country, in 1962.  Algeria has a long Socialist and Communist tradition that is fragmented into the government in addition to a strong Islamist representation, with broad popular support.

Christians have denounced the intensification of the persecution against religious minorities in Algeria since 2006, when the government passed a law to regulate the codes and practices of any religious groups, except for Islam, which is the official religion of the state.

As a new election dawns, Christians are hopeful for a repeal of the 2006 laws. The laws prohibit any type of event that takes place in spaces that do not have that permission. Additionally, it punishes evangelization, or any activity that tries to persuade Muslims to change their religion. In recent years, the church in Algeria has faced the closure of premises and the interrogation of pastors and the detention of members.

“[It’s] not just affecting Christians, but other religious minorities in Algeria. And the regime’s used its power and these laws to put pressure on the Church and to persecute Christians. Islam is used as an instrumental tool by the government to oppress Christians and churches in the country,” says Miles Windsor with Middle East Concern.

Algeria is ranked #22 on Open Doors USA’s World Watch List, which ranks the top 50 countries where it is hardest to live as a Christian. With no date set for a new election, Christians in Algeria know that the result of the elections is unpredictable. As the situation in Algeria is fluid, the future of the state is anything but clear. With the resignation of Bouteflika comes a political vacuum in the government, that can be easily manipulated.

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected]