Algeria military to ‘meet responsibilities’: Army chief

Algerian Army Chief-of-Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah

Army Chief-of-Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah said Wednesday that the Algerian military was ready to “meet all its responsibilities”.

According to a Defense Ministry statement, Salah made the cryptic remark at a meeting with military leaders and army cadets from the Shirshal Military Academy west of capital Algiers.

Notably, the army chief-of-staff's comments come amid burgeoning popular protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's planned bid for a fifth term in office.

The army, Salah is quoted as saying in the statement, “will remain the faithful guardian of the nation’s supreme interests in accordance with the constitution and the laws of the republic”.

In an address delivered one day earlier, Salah similarly vowed that the army would safeguard Algeria’s continued security and stability.

Last month, the ruling National Liberation Front nominated the 82-year-old Bouteflika -- who has ruled Algeria since 1999 -- to run for a fifth presidential term.

Since then, Algeria has seen several anti-Bouteflika demonstrations in different parts of the country, including capital Algiers.