Les habitants misent sur le futur découpage administratif pour un nouvel équilibre régional

Residents are banking on the future administrative division for a new regional balance

Tebessa

The new administrative division project, which provides for the erection of Bir El-Ater into a wilaya in its own right, is arousing great interest in Tébessa. In the streets as in cafes, the subject often comes up in discussions. Many see it as an opportunity to correct old imbalances and open a new page in the region’s history. According to many residents, this redistribution could allow Tébessa to regain its former serenity, provided that certain districts, notably Chéria, El-Ogla and Tlidjene, are attached to the new wilaya. These localities are perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being at the origin of various socio-economic and security problems. “In the past, Tébessa was a peaceful, conservative and respectful city, where families lived in exemplary harmony. But things have changed a lot since then. The arrival of new populations from peripheral areas has upset the balance,” confides a resident of the city center. For many, the consequences of these changes are reflected in disorderly urbanization, poorly controlled rural exodus and sometimes even an increase in petty crime and smuggling, which harm the image of a city once renowned for its tranquility. While waiting for the project to materialize, the Tébessis hope that the creation of the wilaya of Bir El-Ater will make it possible to establish a new administrative and social balance, and to restore to the capital of the Nemmamchas the face worthy of its past.
Maallem Ahmed Chouaib