Algeria’s former President Bouteflika dies at 84

Veteran of Algeria’s war for independence ruled the North African country for two decades before he resigned in 2019.

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has died at 84, the country’s presidency said on Friday, more than two years after he stepped down under pressure from mass protests and the army.

Bouteflika, a veteran of Algeria’s war for independence, had ruled the North African country for two decades before his resignation in April 2019 after street demonstrations rejecting his plan to seek a fifth term.

The longest-serving Algerian leader had rarely been seen in public before his departure since a stroke in 2013.