Algeria

Africa’s second-largest country and largest natural gas producer is in a political crisis following the Arab spring. Activists have accused President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of stonewalling reform efforts, including a new constitution. Food price increases remain a concern. The U.K.’s Guardian newspaper reported in January that the cost of flour, sugar and salad oil had doubled in recent months, and that while the government put unemployment at 10%, independent organizations reported it at closer to 25%. Two people were killed in the ensuing riots. In response, the government cut prices of basic foodstuffs and ended 19 years of emergency rule.