Algeria: South voltage after the first clashes triggered by shale gas

Algiers-The situation remains tense in the town of In Salah in the far south of Algeria, following the first clashes occurred on Saturday between demonstrators and security forces since the outbreak of the movement anti-shale gas, says one local source.

After limiting their action in rallies and peaceful marches for over two months, the citizens of In Salah, which records an intensification of exploration, tried to storm the base life of a foreign company, located about ten kilometers from their town.

The “violent clashes” between events and riot police in charge of local American society Hillburton security were “dozens injured, including several women,” according to the daily El Watan + + Sunday.

“The tension is at its peak at In-Salah, now, especially after the speech of the Prime Minister on the occasion of the celebration of the nationalization of hydrocarbons coinciding with February 24, a powder keg that could explode at any time if serious measures are not taken soon, “said h + Freedom + newspaper.

In a statement released yesterday, the Collective of In Salaha notes that the national company Sonatrach “decided to make fracking by supporting an extraordinary security reinforcement company Halliburton in charge of murderous hydro-fracturing”, ignoring “risks proven” on public health and the “negative and unfortunately final environmental impact on water and the environment.”

“We Algerian citizens of In Salah, have decided to prevent the company from building a fractured human barricade at the site of drilling and blocking the road to Halliburton,” warns the Collective, emphasizing the peaceful nature of this movement

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who called shale gas “gift from heaven,” called to grow conventional and unconventional oil and renewable energy available in the country and benefit while working to ensure safeguarding the health of the population and the protection of the environment.

Strong mobilization against shale gas continues, since January, in the regions of southern Algeria, amid serious concerns about the impact of this non-conventional energy on scarce water resources of their region.

A shale drilling requires larger amounts of water than conventional wells, as the region is very low in this vital matter and depends exclusively on groundwater, which would expose him to severe water stress, in case Sonatrach is implementing its plans to drill 200 per year for a production of 20 billion gas M3.

Faced with the drastic drop in oil prices, Algeria is also concerned about the depletion of its hydrocarbon resources, precipitating orientation shale gas, despite the opposition of the people, experts and environmentalists