JOHANNESBURG - South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday sent messages of condolences to Algeria and Western Sahara following the military plane crash in which more than 250 people perished.
"On behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has conveyed messages of condolences to the governments and the people of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, and particularly to the families, friends and colleagues," said a statement issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
The military plane crashed near Algeria’s capital, Algiers, on Wednesday, 11 April. At least 257 people died in the crash, including 26 members of Western Sahara’s Polisario Front.
Many people in Algeria and Western Sahara are grieving the loss of their loved ones. The Algerian government has declared three days of national mourning.
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"The people of South Africa share their pain and loss and extend their most sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident," said the president.