External forces seek to destabilize Algeria, says Algerian Army Chief
Algiers, Algeria (PANA) - Algeria's deputy defense minister and army chief of staff, General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, said on Wednesday that foreign forces want to destabilize Algeria.
He was speaking in a keynote address delivered at a meeting with military personnel who demonstrated during their ''Hasm 2019'' with live ammunition,
General Salah asserted that the army will support "the transition period as part of the mutual trust between it and the people".
"This period is intended for the preparation for the presidential election; the army will monitor the situation in "strict compliance with the rules of transparency and integrity and laws of the Republic," he added.
"Unfortunately with the continuation of the demonstrations, we have found that outside forces are seeking, taking advantage of historical divisions, to destabilize the country," he said, indicating that this sensitive period requires all Algerians to show awareness, patience, and vigilance to ensure and fulfill the demands of the people and the security of the country.
"The army will make more efforts" to allow the Algerian people to "enjoy total peace of mind for the present and the future of their country," said the Algerian Minister.
The intervention of General Gaïd Salah comes as protests continue in parts of the country after the appointment of the President of the Council of the Nation, Abdelkader Bensalah, as acting president, in place of president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has resigned.
General Salah had, last March, talked about the country's internal situation, stating that the instability and security confusions found in neighboring countries were threats to the country.
"Conscious of our role as soldiers, the army will continue, thanks to Allah Almighty, to make more efforts for the permanent promotion, the sustained development and the mobilization of its various components to guarantee the legitimate right of the Algerian people to enjoy a total peace of mind for the present and the future of their country'," he said.
-0- PANA YY/IN/BEH/KND/VAO 10April2019
