Riots hit Algerian leader's rally

Police used water cannon to break up the protests

Algerian security forces have clashed with protesters during a visit by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to the Berber-dominated Kabylie region.

Police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse a demonstration in the main town Tizi Ouzou, where Mr Bouteflika was holding a rally.

Dozens of people have reportedly been detained following the unrest.

The Berbers have said they will boycott next month's elections, in which Mr Bouteflika is seeking re-election.

Last month, Berber organisations threatened to disrupt the presidential election after talks with the government broke down over their demand for their language to be given equal official status with Arabic.

Islamic rebels

About 100 demonstrators burned tyres and threw rocks at riot police who responded with tear gas and water cannon.

Berber militants had called for demonstrations and a strike to coincide with Mr Bouteflika's first visit to Tizi Ouzou since riots in 2001, which left more than 100 people dead.

President Bouteflika is viewed as favourite to win the elections against the former prime minister and ally, Ali Benfliss, and Islamic contender Djab Allah.

He is credited with having brought a degree of security and economic stability to a country in which 150,000 people have died in a decade of civil unrest.

However, his critics say that while suppressing Islamic rebels, the president has also used his position to increase his personal hold on power.

Opposition figures have formed a "front against fraud," on the look-out for any manipulation of April's elections.