This archive report was first published on 25 December 2019.
On December 25, 2019, Algeria began mourning the death of its army chief, Gaid Salah, who passed away at the age of 79 due to a heart attack.
As the funeral procession made its way to the palace, it was met with a large number of motorbike outriders, a testament to the general's influence and respect in the country.
The palace, built in the 18th century for Ottoman governors, served as the final resting place for the country's leaders, including former presidents.
Interim military chief of staff Said Chengriha was in attendance, while President Abdelmadjid Tebboune arrived shortly after the procession.
Tebboune, who won the presidential election on December 12 with 58.1 percent of the vote, had previously awarded Gaid Salah the National Order of Merit, Algeria's highest honor.
Images broadcast by several TV stations showed a crowd gathered at the gates of the palace to pay their final respects to Gaid Salah, who served as army chief for 15 years.
As the nation mourned, the religious affairs ministry asked imams to lead prayers in Gaid Salah's memory on Wednesday.
The funeral procession eventually made its way to Martyrs' Square in Al-Alia cemetery, where former presidents and other major Algerian figures are laid to rest.
