Former President of Algeria dies at the age of 84

After years in power, Bouteflika's powerful political apparatus amended the constitution to overturn the presidential two-term limit.

Former President of Algeria dies at the age of 84 www.EweGhana.Net

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who fought for independence from France in the 1950s and 1960s and was ousted in pro-democracy protests in 2019 after 20 years in power, has died aged 84 , state television announced on Friday.

The ENTV report, citing a statement from the office of incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, did not provide the cause of death nor any information about the funeral arrangements.

 Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013 that left him severely weakened. Concerns about his health, which are kept secret from the Algerian public, have contributed to public frustration with his regime, which has erupted in massive public protests. in 2019 leading to his departure.

 Earlier in her life, Bouteflika had fought for independence from the French colonial rulers, successfully negotiating with terrorist Carlos the Jackal to free oil ministers held hostage in a attack on OPEC headquarters in 1975, and helped to reconcile Algerian citizens with another civil war after a decade of civil war between Islamic extremists and Algerian security forces.

 Bouteflika was known as a dodgy survivor since he fought for independence from France. He became Secretary of State at the age of 25 and was on par with Henry Kissinger at the height of the Cold War. 

At the time, Algeria was the epitome of socialism associated with the former Soviet Union, and the Alger capital was nicknamed "Moscow on the Mediterranean". However, in his 20 years as president, his fiery past has evaporated as age and illness affect the once charismatic figure.

 Infrastructure corruption scandals and hydrocarbon projects also haunted him for years and demoralized many of his closest associates. Many are currently in prison.

 Born on 2 March 1937 in the town of Oujda near the Moroccan border, Bouteflika is one of Algeria's oldest politicians. During Algeria's bloody war of independence, he commanded the southern Mali front and secretly fled to France in 1961 to contact imprisoned liberation leaders.

 He then played the Third World revolutionary who challenged the West, serving as a vital voice for the developing nations movement. He was active in the United Nations and served as president of the United Nations General Assembly in 1974. However, Bouteflika steadfastly sided with the United States in the war on terror after the September 11, 2001 attacks, especially on intelligence sharing and military cooperation. 

As president since 1999, Bouteflika has succeeded in bringing stability to a country that almost fell to its knees in the 1990s when an Islamist insurgency left some 200,000 dead. He announced a bold program in 2005 to reconcile a nation torn apart by civil war by persuading radical Muslims to give up their weapons. 

Bouteflika and the country's armed forces neutralized the Muslim uprising in Algeria, but later saw it spread into a movement in the Sahara that has been linked to smuggling and kidnapping and al- Qaida.

 After years in power, Bouteflika's powerful political apparatus amended the constitution to overturn the presidential two-term limit. He was then re-elected in 2009 and 2013, amid allegations of fraud and a lack of strong challengers.