Abdelaziz Bouteflika Biography
Abdelaziz Bouteflika was the President of Algeria from 27 April 1999 until 2 April 2019. This made him the longest-serving leader in the country’s history after independence in 1962. Born on 2 March 1937 and died on 17 September 2021, he lived through some of the most important moments in modern Algerian history. He fought for independence as a young man, became the world’s youngest foreign minister at age 26, spent years away from power, and then returned to lead the nation for two decades. His rule brought peace after a terrible civil war, economic growth, and also strong criticism for limited freedoms and health problems that kept him out of public view in his final years. This biography tells his story in a simple and clear way.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Early Life
Abdelaziz Bouteflika was born on 2 March 1937 in Oujda, a city in eastern Morocco close to the Algerian border. At that time, both Algeria and Morocco were under French colonial rule. His father, Ahmed Bouteflika, and his mother, Mansouria Ghezlaoui, came from Tlemcen in western Algeria. The family was middle-class. His father worked as a religious teacher. Abdelaziz was the oldest boy among several brothers and sisters. One brother, Saïd Bouteflika, later became his close adviser.
As a child, he studied the Quran in a traditional school and then attended modern French-language schools in Oujda. He did well in his studies and planned to study philosophy, but the Algerian War of Independence started in 1954. When he was only 19 years old, in 1956, he left school and crossed the border to join the fight against France.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Career
Bouteflika’s career can be divided into clear stages.
War of Independence (1956–1962) He joined the National Liberation Army (ALN), the armed wing of the National Liberation Front (FLN). He received military training in Morocco and served on the southern border with Mali. His commander was Houari Boumédiène, who later became president. Bouteflika used the code name Abdelkader al-Mali.
Young Minister (1962–1979) After Algeria won independence in July 1962, he was elected to the first parliament. In 1963, at the age of 26, President Ahmed Ben Bella made him Minister of Foreign Affairs. He kept the same job when Houari Boumédiène took power in 1965. For 16 years he represented Algeria around the world. In 1974 he became president of the United Nations General Assembly, a very high honor. He helped create the Non-Aligned Movement and defended the rights of developing countries.
Years Outside Power (1979–1999) When Boumédiène died in December 1978, Bouteflika lost his position. In 1981 he left Algeria after being accused of taking money from embassy funds. He lived in the United Arab Emirates and France for several years. He returned home in 1987 and slowly came back into politics.
President of Algeria (1999–2019) In April 1999 he won the presidential election with more than 73 percent of the vote and became president. He was re-elected in 2004, 2009, and 2014. His main achievements were:
- Ending the civil war (1991–2002) that killed more than 150,000 people by offering amnesty to many fighters.
- Using high oil prices to pay off foreign debt and build roads, houses, and schools.
- Keeping Algeria calm during the Arab Spring protests of 2011. At the same time, many people said elections were not fair, newspapers were controlled, and corruption grew among his friends and family.
Foreign Minister Again (briefly) and Other Roles After 1999 he sometimes acted as his own foreign minister and kept Algeria active in African and Arab organizations.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Personal Life
Bouteflika never married and had no children. He lived a very private life. His closest family members were his younger brother Saïd and his sisters. After 2013, when he became seriously ill, Saïd and other relatives helped run daily affairs. In his younger years he enjoyed reading history and poetry. He spoke Arabic, French, and some English. In 2005 doctors found stomach cancer, and on 27 April 2013 he suffered a major stroke that left him unable to speak clearly or walk without help. From that time until his resignation, he appeared in public only a few times, usually in a wheelchair.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Resignation
By early 2019, Bouteflika was 82 years old and in poor health. On 11 February 2019 his team announced he would run for a fifth term as president. Millions of Algerians, especially young people, took to the streets every Friday in peaceful protests called the Hirak movement. They carried signs saying the president should step down because of his illness and because twenty years in power was enough.
On 11 March 2019 he withdrew from the election. On 1 April 2019 the army chief, General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, asked parliament to remove him for health reasons. The next day, 2 April 2019, Bouteflika officially resigned. Abdelkader Bensalah became interim president, and in December 2019 Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected as the new president.
Conclusion
Abdelaziz Bouteflika played a big role in Algeria for more than sixty years. As a young fighter he helped win freedom from France. As a diplomat he put Algeria on the world map. As president he stopped a terrible civil war and brought years of stability and money from oil. At the same time, many Algerians feel he stayed in power too long and did not give enough freedom or fair elections. He died on 17 September 2021 at the age of 84. His funeral was quiet, and he was buried in the El Alia Cemetery alongside other leaders of independent Algeria. Today, people still argue about his legacy: was he a hero who saved the country, or a leader who held on to power too long? Most agree he was a central figure in Algeria’s modern history.
FAQs
When and where was Abdelaziz Bouteflika born?
He was born on 2 March 1937 in Oujda, Morocco (near the Algerian border).
Did Bouteflika ever marry?
No, he never married and had no children.
How long was he president of Algeria?
From 27 April 1999 to 2 April 2019, exactly twenty years.
Why did he resign in 2019?
Large peaceful protests (the Hirak movement) and pressure from the army forced him to step down because of his poor health and desire for a fifth term.
What happened after his 2013 stroke?
He could no longer speak clearly or move easily. His brother Saïd and close aides helped run the country.
How did Bouteflika end the Algerian Civil War?
He offered amnesty to thousands of fighters who laid down their weapons, and voters approved his peace plan in referendums in 1999 and 2005.
When did Abdelaziz Bouteflika die?
He died on 17 September 2021 at the age of 84.
Who became president after Bouteflika?
Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected president in December 2019.