Fun and controversy mix in Algeria festival

Fun and controversy filled Algeria's capital Algiers following a two week pan-African festival that ended Monday on a note of cheer and condemnation as thousands danced to African beats while officials criticized the extravagant event.

In a scene seldom witnessed in a city scarred by years of conflict between the government and Islamist insurgents, Algerian youth swarmed the streets of Algiers during a festival of African dance, theater, music and art.

For two weeks, this former colonial city has been hosting the Pan-African Cultural Festival designed to let the world know normal life is slowly returning to Algeria, and to allow people to let their hair down and have fun.

"Algeria needs to have some fun after a decade of blood and tears," Zouaoui Benamadi, communication chief for the festival, told Reuters. "Conflicts and wars are behind us, let's focus on the future."

Algeria needs to have some fun after a decade of blood and tears. Conflicts and wars are behind us, let us focus on the future

Zouaoui Benamadi, communication chief for the Pan African Cultural Festival

Improved security

The first Pan-African Festival in 40 years, the festival brought together 8,000 artists from 48 countries, including acclaimed Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour, reggae singer Alpha Blondy and Grammy-winning Cape Verdian singer Cesaria Evora.

About 22,000 additional police have been deployed to thwart potential attacks during the festival from Islamist rebels who have been battling the Algerian government throughout the 1990s.

The fact that it has gone ahead at all shows the improvement in security in the capital, even if violence persists elsewhere. Algiers has not suffered a serious attack since the bombing of U.N. offices killed more than 40 people in December 2007.

Extravagant and shocking

However, embracing African culture during the festival has proved challenging for some Algerians who contested what they saw as "obscene" dance habits and the expenses of the festival.

The Sahara desert isolates Muslim, Arabic-speaking North Africa from the rest of the continent and over the centuries has limited the mixing of peoples and cultures.

There was a media outcry after the performance by African female dancers in traditional dress -- which involved one of them having her breasts exposed.

One newspaper published a cartoon depicting a group of old women saying "May God forgive us" as they looked at a topless African dancer.

"Why did censorship not play its role in preventing such obscene scenes?" Algeria's biggest-selling newspaper, Echorouk, asked in an editorial.

"Why are we wasting money importing topless dancers ... Should we say 'welcome' or 'go to hell'?" Echorouk added.

Algerian parliamentarians condemned the festival as a waste of money and resources, demanding a justification for extravagant expenses on the festival that allegedly came to $112 million.

In a petition to the Ministry of Culture demanding accountability, Algeria's Islamic Renaissance Movement said the costs of the festival could have established "eight factories that could have helped solve the unemployment issue" in the country.

But television journalist Ghania Bessai said it was worth the expense.

"Attending concerts where ... (all these artists) were performing could happen once in your life. It was a great festival," she said.

Why did censorship not play its role in preventing such obscene scenes

Echorouk, Algerian newspaper