France sent two Canadair to Algeria, to help fight against the forest fires which ravage the north of the country, mainly the commune of Tizi Ouzou. Water bombers could arrive in reinforcement from Spain and Switzerland according to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who announced the arrest of 22 people suspected of being at the origin of these fires.
To fight against the unprecedented fires which ravage the region of Kabylia, in the north of Algeria, firefighters, soldiers, and Algerian volunteers are supported by two water bombers sent by France on Thursday, August 12, said in a tweet the French President Emmanuel Macron.
The two Canadairs sent by France in support of the Algerian people have just arrived there. They will lend a hand to aid to deal with the terrible fires that Algeria has been facing for several days.
– Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 12, 2021
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune promised in a televised address Thursday evening that two more Canadair should arrive from Spain and another from Switzerland.
In a statement, the civil protection reported Thursday of “92 fires in 16 wilayas (prefectures) including 37 in Tizi Ouzou and 15 in El Tarf”, near the Tunisian border. This Thursday marked the first day of national mourning decreed to honor the 71 people who died in these fires intensified by the extreme heat.
This heatwave should continue until the weekend in the Maghreb, according to various meteorological services. On Wednesday, Tunisia also recorded an absolute record with a temperature of over 50 degrees (50.3 C) in Kairouan (center). Thirty fires have been recorded since Monday in this country.
Algeria arrests around 20 suspected arsonists
In his televised address on Thursday, Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the arrest of 22 suspects accused of being arsonists, “including 11 in Tizi Ouzou, a large town in Kabylia, a Berber-speaking region in northeastern Algeria, traditionally rebellious. against the central power.
The Head of State accused, without naming them, the Kabyle separatists of wanting to exploit the catastrophe to divide the country. According to Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the majority of fires are “of criminal origin”. “Some fires were caused by high temperatures but criminal hands are behind most of them,” said the Algerian president.
Beyond official international aid, given the scale of the disaster, appeals for help have multiplied from the start in civil society, in Algeria, and within the Algerian diaspora. NGOs are working particularly in France – where human links with the southern shore of the Mediterranean are numerous – to send material to disaster areas through local organizations.
In the country itself, “individuals and associations are mobilizing relentlessly by organizing collections of clothing, food, drugs,” writes the TSA information site.
