Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, deposed in 2019 after massive protests against him, died this Friday at the age of 84, public television announced, citing a statement from the presidency.
"Former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika dies," said a tape broadcast on Algerian television.
The former strongman left power in April 2019 under pressure from the military after weeks of protests against his plans to run for a fifth term as head of government.
Since his departure from power after 20 years, Bouteflika has been held under medical care at his residence in Zeralda, west of Algiers.
More information
Buteflika, in Algeria and safe from justice a year later
Omnipresent in Algerian political life for decades, the former ruler has become almost invisible since he suffered a stroke in 2013, for which he spent three months in recovery.
Bouteflika had not shown any signs of life since the popular protest movement of "Hirak" and the armed forces forced him to resign.
On that occasion he appeared for the last time on television to announce that he was throwing in the towel.
Known in his country as “Boutef”, the former president helped bring peace to Algeria after more than ten years of civil war in the 1990s. However, he faced criticism from human rights groups and opponents who accused him of authoritarianism and repression.
He survived the Arab Spring that deposed other North African governments between 2010 and 2011, but another popular movement ended his rule years later.
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