ALGIERS  – Major-General Berroumana Ahmed, Commander of the National Gendarmerie, chaired on Sunday at the National Army Circle of Beni Messous, in Algiers, the opening ceremony of the 4th Regional Seminar on “Sampling and Analysis in a Highly Contaminated Environment,” the Ministry of National Defence said in a press release.

“As part of cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Major General Berroumana Sid Ahmed, Commander of the National Gendarmerie chaired, today Sunday April 5, 2026, the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the Regional Seminar on “sampling and analysis in a highly contaminated environment”, at the National Circle of the Army of Béni Messous in the First Military Region, in the presence of executives of the Ministry of National Defense alongside trainees from the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CIAC) from the Africa region”, specifies the same source.

In his opening speech, the Commander of the National Gendarmerie stressed that “Algeria continues to develop its technical-operational capabilities in the field of assistance and protection against chemical weapons, while strengthening its cooperation with African countries.”

He also indicated that this event is part of the partnership linking Algeria to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

This edition aims to “strengthen the capacities for assistance and protection against chemical warfare agents, and consolidate the skills of specialists from the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CIAC), in their capacity as first responders responsible for sampling and analysis operations in a highly contaminated environment”.

It also aims to develop the knowledge and qualifications of specialists from African member countries, while promoting “South-South” cooperation in the field of chemical emergencies, concludes the MDN press release.