2021 Algeria wildfires

2021 Algeria wildfires
Plumes of smoke over northern Algeria on August 11, 2021
Date(s)	June – October 2021
Location	Kabylia region, Algeria
Impacts
Deaths	90 (57 civilians and 33 soldiers)
Ignition
Cause	Unknown
Perpetrator(s)	Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (per Algerian authorities) [1]

The 2021 Algeria wildfires were multiple wildfires that happened in the Kabylia region of Algeria since 9 August 2021, which have killed 90 people, ^[2] including 57 civilians and 33 soldiers. The soldiers died after being trapped in the blaze during rescue operations. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

On 9 August, many fires started up in the Kabylia region and elsewhere, and Algerian authorities sent soldiers to help citizens with the blazes and evacuations.

On 10 August, multiple fires have burned Mediterranean trees, destroying olive trees and killing cattle and chickens. Many distant villages have very limited water. Some villagers fled, while others tried to hold back the flames themselves, using buckets, branches and rudimentary tools, due to the unavailability of firefighting aircraft.

On 12 August, president Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in a live speech on state television that "criminal hands were behind most" of the fires and that 22 people have been arrested. ^[7]

After 7 days following the appearance of the wildfires, Civil Protection units have successfully extinguished 41 forest fires in nine provinces in the past 24 hours, ^[8] and complete extinction of fires in Annaba was reported. ^[9]

On 17 August, all forest fires in Jijel and Sétif were extinguished. ^{[10] [11]}

On 18 August, president's office said that "ultimate responsibility" for fires lay with the Islamist Rachad group and MAK, an ethnopolitical autonomy organization that aims to split the ethnic Berber region of Kabyle from the rest of Algeria, with "support and help from foreign parties, particularly Morocco and the Zionist entity", referring to Israel. ^{[12] [13] [14]}

The 2021 Algerian-Israeli naval incident took place during these wildfires on 27 September. ^[15]

Casualties

A total of 610 km of electricity network and no less than 710 stations were destroyed by the fires that ravaged several municipalities in Tizi Ouzou Province, according to a report released during an inspection visit of the CEO of the Sonelgaz group, Chaher Boulkhras. ^[16] Some 5,193 hectares of fruit trees and 19,178 farm animals burned in the fires, according to a nondefinitive report from the Local Direction of Agricultural Services (DSA) ^[17] and a total of 1,705 homes burned were appraised by engineers from the Technical Construction Control body (CTC). ^[18]

According to a report made public in May 2022 by the Algerian Directorate General of Forests (DGF), the total area of vegetation cover affected by fires during the summer of 2021, amounts to more than 100,000 hectares through 1,631 fire outbreaks recorded in 21 wilayas. A total of 260,135 hectares of forests (26% of the total area), 21,040 hectares of bushes (21.5%), 16,415 hectares of scrub (16.5%), 16,160 hectares of fruit trees (36%) and 352 hectares of esparto (0.5%) were ravaged by the fires. ^[19]

Affected area by outbreaks ^[19]

Wilaya	Outbreaks
Tizi Ouzou	241
Jijel	164
Skikda	125
Bejaia	112
Tipasa	97
Bouira	86
El Tarf	82
Médéa	66
Boumerdes	63
Oum El Bouaghi	56

Affected area by hectares ^[19]

Wilaya	Hectares
Tizi Ouzou	43,398
Bejaia	13,174
Khenchela	9,837
Guelma	5,927
El Tarf	5,090
Annaba	5,024

Killing of Djamel Bensmail

Main article: Killing of Djamel Bensmail

Djamel Bensmail, an artist and social activist from Miliana, was reported by the local media to be brutally killed days after the fires in Tizi Ouzou appeared, by a group of people that set him on fire. He was initially charged, baselessly, with incendiarism.

Later, a video showing the assault against Djamel Bensmail went viral online, showing his final minutes as he was burned alive and killed for his alleged role. However, social media users identified him as a prominent artist who was present in the area to help residents put out the fires.^{[ citation needed ]}

In the video, Bensmail was pleading with the mob and repetitively insisting that he had no role in the wildfires that were spreading. Furthermore, several members of the group were shouting racist and insulting slang at the victim, such as sale arabe, which is French for dirty Arab. It is believed^{[ by whom? ]} that several members^{[ who? ]} of this mob appearing in the footage are affiliated with the MAK. The MAK is also accused by Algerian authorities as having separatist aims and an anti-Arab sentiment. Due to this,^{[ how? ]} it is strongly believed^{[ by whom? ]} that Bensmail was in fact guiltless.^{[ citation needed ]}

The Director of the Judicial Police at the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), Mohamed Chakour, affirmed the arrest of 36 defendants including 3 women, involved in the assassination and lynching of Bensmail in Larbaâ Nath Irathen in Tizi Ouzou. ^[20] On 17 August, The DGSN released a new video including the confessions of new suspects arrested in connection with the case. ^[21] The criminal court of Dar El Beida sentenced 49 people to death for the homicide and mutilation of Ben Ismail. ^[22]

References

1. "Algerian journalist, others detained in growing crackdown". 95.5 WSB. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
2. "Algerian wildfires still raging, death toll hits 90 including 33 soldiers". Africa News. 15 August 2021.
3. "Algeria forest fires: At least 65 people killed as fires spread". BBC News. BBC News. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
4. "Incendi, 38 morti in Algeria". ansa.it. ansa.it. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
5. "At least 65 killed in Algerian wildfires". Reuters. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
6. "Incendi in Algeria, i morti aumentano a 65". ansa.it. ansa.it. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
7. "Algeria arrests 22 suspected arsonists over deadly blazes". Al Jazeera. 13 August 2021.
8. KHALEF, Fatiha (16 August 2021). "Extinction de 41 feux de forêts dans plusieurs wilayas". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 16 August 2021.
9. Dib, Nassima (16 August 2021). "Extinction totale des incendies à d'Annaba". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
10. Dib, Nassima (17 August 2021). "Extinction de tous les incendies de forêt à Jijel". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
11. Dib, Nassima (17 August 2021). "Sétif: extinction totale de tous les incendies de forêts". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
12. "Algeria accuses groups it links to Morocco, Israel of setting wildfires". Reuters. 18 August 2021.
13. "Algeria accuses Morocco of involvement in its deadly fires, to "review" relations". Africanews. 18 August 2021.
14. "Algeria blames groups it links to Morocco, Israel for wildfires". Al Jazeera. 19 August 2021.
15. Akramov (2021-10-01). "Ce que l'on sait de l'incident avec un sous-marin Israélien -". MENADEFENSE (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-08.
16. Dib, Nassima (19 August 2021). "Incendies de Tizi-Ouzou: plus de 600 km de réseau électrique détruits par les feux". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 19 August 2021.
17. Boudjedri, Mounia (22 August 2021). "Tizi-Ouzou/Incendies: plus de 5.100 ha d'arbres fruitiers et plus de 19.100 animaux d'élevage brulés". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
18. Dib, Nassima (1 September 2021). "Incendies de Tizi-Ouzou: Plus de 1700 habitations brûlées expertisées par le CTC". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 1 September 2021.
19. Dib, Nassima (10 May 2022). "Feux de forêt: plus 100.000 hectares ravagés dans 21 wilayas durant l'été 2021". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
20. Dib, Nassima (15 August 2021). "Affaire de l'assassinat de Djamel Bensmail à Tizi Ouzou: arrestation de 36 mis en cause". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 15 August 2021.
21. Dib, Nassima (17 August 2021). "Assassinat de Djamel Bensmail: nouveaux aveux d'autres mis en cause arrêtés". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 17 August 2021.
22. "Meurtre de Djamel Bensmaïl: le chef du Mouvement terroriste "MAK" condamné à la perpétuité". Algérie Presse Service. 24 November 2022.

See also

• 2022 Moroccan wildfires