World Bulletin / News Desk
Amar Saidani, secretary-general of Algeria's ruling National Liberation Front, warned that ongoing protests in the country's south could turn into a major popular uprising like those that rocked the "Arab Spring" countries in early 2011.
"What is happening in the south is worrying us because it could lead to what happened in Arab Spring nations like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya," Saidani said at a party meeting in reference to popular uprisings that ousted longstanding leaders in the three countries.
"What's happening there [in the south] is abnormal. The question is, are these popular movements spontaneous?" he asked.
In recent months, several southern provinces have seen major protests by unemployed youth.
Within the past two weeks alone, residents of the southern Ain Salah province have staged rallies to protest a government plan to exploit local gas resources.
