Algerian firefighters are confronting a catastrophic wave of wildfires that have swept across several provinces, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called for the reinstatement of the death penalty for arsonists in response to the unprecedented blazes. The fires, stretching from the center to the far east of the country, have overwhelmed Civil Protection units and required support from army squadrons. As of this week, flare-ups were still being battled in the provinces of Sétif and Guelma, where vast tracts of forest have been consumed.
The province of Jijel, located 125 miles east of the capital Algiers, has sustained the most severe damage. An area of 460 square miles of forest, once known for its natural beauty, has been reduced to smoldering ashes and charred tree stumps. While initial Interior Ministry reports indicated 12 deaths in Jijel, accounts from the ground suggest a far more tragic toll.
Lt. Djabri Said of the Civil Protection described the situation as the first human, environmental, and material catastrophe of its kind in his 40-year career, estimating hundreds of fatalities. Social media videos have shown dozens of coffins awaiting burial, underscoring the scale of the loss. Journalist Abdelwahab Boukrouh reported that 12 members of his family, including women, children, and the elderly, died in their homes in the mountain village of Ouled Riyah during the night of Aug. 22-23, with three others missing.
Thousands of livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, mules, and donkeys, perished in the fires, their charred carcasses littering the landscape. Homes have been reduced to piles of smoking ash.
President Tebboune interrupted his vacation to visit burn victims in Algiers, declared three days of national mourning, and convened a special Council of Ministers. The Jijel region was declared a "disaster area," with resources allocated to address the crisis. The state has pledged compensation to affected families and committed to rebuilding destroyed homes. Restoring schools has been prioritized to ensure students can return by the start of the academic year on Sept. 21.
While President Tebboune has pointed to climate change, citing fires in other Mediterranean countries like France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, as a factor exacerbating heat and dryness, he has also alluded to "criminal hands." He announced that investigations are ongoing and that those found responsible will face capital punishment. This marks a potential end to the moratorium on the death penalty, which has been in effect in Algeria since 1993.
The president's stance has received backing from his supporting parties and Islamist parties. However, democratic movement parties and some human rights organizations have voiced strong opposition, condemning the potential return of the death penalty as a "retreat by Algeria into barbarism" and an attempt by the government to evade accountability for its management failures.