"Have you ever seen what a lead mine does to nature?" asked Rachid, a neo-farmer who recently came back to tend his family's land in the hills above Amizour, some 20 kilometers from Béjaïa (230 kilometers east of Algiers), in a move encouraged by the Algerian government. He is anxious. What will become of the Soummam Valley, which he gazes at with emotion, a bucolic landscape filled with fields of oranges, clementines, olives, figs and grapes? Rachid's concern has a name: Tala Hamza, a neighboring town. In two years, a zinc and lead mine project is due to start up there, an investment that Algiers considers strategic.
As the country seeks to supplement its oil revenue – subject to the fluctuations of world hydrocarbon prices – President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the overwhelming favorite in the election scheduled for September 7, frequently stresses the need for faster development of the mining sector. Tala Hamza joins a long list of projects ranging from Tébessa (phosphates) to Gara Djebilet (iron), as well as rare earth reserves scattered across the country. The economic stakes are high since the aim is to attract foreign investors from China, Russia and the West.
It's also a domestic political issue, given the potential resistance of local populations. In the Soummam Valley, there is alternating anger and resignation in the face of authorities determined to assert their positions. "We still have some of the best land in the valley here," said Rachid, frustrated that in 2023, a workers' base replaced vineyards near his orchard – land the state had previously handed over to farmers. "As far as I know, the fellahs [farmers] didn't protest; the situation was already very tense by then."
It all began in 2021 when the people of Amizour were informed about the project through a public inquiry notice posted by the town hall. The mountain had already been subject to explorations for decades and the presence of zinc and lead had been confirmed, with the Algerian press even ranking the deposit "among the five largest in the world." Despite this, mining operations had not yet begun. The reason for such caution was not only due to the environmental risks, but also because, from 2014 onward, concerns were beginning to surface regarding the Australian company Terramin's ability to meet its financial obligations. The company was part of a joint venture with Algerian state-owned companies. That same partnership, now called Western Mediterranean Zinc Spa (WMZ), is currently associated with China's Sinosteel. The mine, which will now be "underground" instead of open-pit to minimize environmental risks, is slated to be operational for 19 years starting in 2026.
You have 60.79% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.