The North African: Why Don’t We Understand Algeria?

In an interview with The North African, I break down outsiders’ struggles to make sense of Algeria, how we can do better, and why it’s worth the effort.

Algiers, July 2019

Recently I spoke with Elyes Maghrebi of The North African, a new publication doing great analysis of this under-covered region, about why so few Americans (and outsiders in general) comprehend or even know what’s happening today in Algeria, one of the largest countries on earth:

"Americans who do know Algeria most often know it from a historical perspective. Perhaps they’ve watched The Battle of Algiers, read about the liberation struggle, or remember the conflict in the 1990s. But few have any idea what Algeria is like today."

We discuss why journalists struggle to cover the country, academics to study it, and even tourists to visit it. And I suggest five ways that anyone interested in Algeria can get to know it better, including this:

Never forget that Algeria is a vast and complex country that even Algerians struggle to understand. As foreigners, we shouldn’t expect to do better. But by seeking to know the place, we can help chip away at the gulf of misunderstanding and ignorance that separates it from the rest of the world.

Read the full interview here on The North African: Reporting on North Africa: Why Don’t We Understand Algeria?