Former Algerian President, Bouteflika, Dies at 84

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the ex-president of Algeria, passed away at the age of 84, the announcement was made by the country’s presidency, which gave no further details.

Having come to power in 1999 following the civil war, Bouteflika ruled the country despite suffering from paralysis in 2015 amid his deteriorating health.

He ran for the presidency vying for the fifth term in February 2019, which turned the final straw. The move triggered mass protests in the country.

With the Algerian army announcing support to protests and as they continued growing, Bouteflika was forced to resign in April 2019.

Bouteflika served during the Algerian War as a member of the National Liberation Front. After Algeria gained its independence from France, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1963 until 1979.

He served as President of the United Nations General Assembly during the 1974–1975 session.

In 1999, Bouteflika was elected president of Algeria in a landslide victory. He would win re-election in 2004, 2009, and 2014.

As President, he presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002 when he took over the project of his immediate predecessor President Liamine Zéroual, and he ended emergency rule in February 2011 amidst regional unrest.

Following a stroke in 2013, Bouteflika had made few public appearances throughout his fourth term, making his final appearance in 2017.

Bouteflika resigned on April 2, 2019 after months of mass protests. With nearly 20 years in power, he is the longest-serving head of state of Algeria to date.

Following his resignation, Bouteflika became a recluse and died in September 2021