The president of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has ordered a national mourning period of three days following the death of at least twelve people due to the wildfires that in recent days have ravaged areas of the center and east of the country, according to the latest official balance.
"After this tragedy, a national mourning period of three days has been declared," indicated the head of state in a message broadcast by the Algerian Presidency, in which he details that during these days "the national flags will fly at half-mast across the country" and "all national celebrations and sporting events are canceled."
The leader has expressed his sorrow for the "tragic loss of life" caused by the fires and has admitted that the nation is experiencing "a difficult moment." "The flames have struck our citizens when we had begun to compensate those affected by the previous fires that had already been extinguished," he added.
"In the face of this immense loss, I can only bow before the souls of our citizens who perished in this tragedy, praying for their souls and asking God to reward them for their patience during this hard trial," Tebboune has stated, who has sent his "deepest condolences" to the relatives of the deceased victims.
The prime minister, Sifi Qarib, traveled on Thursday to the province of Jijel to assess on the ground the evolution of the fires and coordinate the extinguishing tasks, according to the Algerian state agency APS. During his visit, he also went to see several of the injured who remain hospitalized as a result of the fires.
Meanwhile, firefighters and emergency teams continue to work to control and extinguish the active hotspots in various provinces of the North African country. The authorities have not yet provided information on the origin of the flames, whose causes remain under investigation.
On the other hand, the president of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahmud Ali Yusuf, has expressed his condolences to Algeria for the "devastating fires" that the country is suffering and has praised "the authorities, the emergency services, and those responding to the flames" for "their brave efforts," according to a statement released by the bloc on social media.
Yusuf has also reiterated "the solidarity" of the organization with Algeria "in these difficult times" and has emphasized "the growing urgency to strengthen collective action to address the devastating impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on the continent."