On 22nd February 2024, the Algerian people celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Algerian nonpartisan Hirak uprising – Arabic for “movement.” Algerians still recall how, on 22nd February 22, millions took to the streets in disciplined and peaceful marches to oppose the country’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for a fifth term. The protestors marched in the streets every Friday until they forced Bouteflika, whose 20-year rule was rife with corruption and institutional decay, to resign in April 2019. The ousting of Bouteflika was presented by the army as a success in response to the expect…