Abdelaziz Bouteflika was an Algerian politician who served as the fifth President of Algeria from 1999 to 2019. Born on March 2, 1937, in Oujda, then part of French Morocco, Bouteflika was involved in Algeria's fight for independence from France during the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962). He joined the National Liberation Front (FLN), Algeria’s leading independence movement, at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks due to his political acumen and loyalty to key leaders.

After Algeria gained independence in 1962, Bouteflika was appointed Minister of Youth, Sports, and Tourism in the new government led by Ahmed Ben Bella. A year later, he became the country's Foreign Minister at the age of 26, making him one of the youngest foreign ministers in the world. In this role, Bouteflika was known for championing the cause of developing nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, which sought to steer a middle course during the Cold War.

Despite his early political successes, Bouteflika’s career took a downturn in the late 1970s. Following the death of Algeria’s second president, Houari Boumédiène, with whom Bouteflika had been closely allied, he fell out of favor and was accused of embezzlement and corruption. As a result, Bouteflika went into self-imposed exile for much of the 1980s, living in Europe and the Middle East.

Bouteflika returned to Algerian politics in the 1990s during a period of intense civil unrest. Algeria was in the throes of a brutal civil war between government forces and Islamist insurgents. In 1999, he was elected president after promising to end the violence and stabilize the country. He implemented a national reconciliation policy, offering amnesty to Islamist fighters in exchange for laying down their arms, which was instrumental in reducing violence, although it remained controversial for absolving certain groups of accountability.

Bouteflika’s early years as president were marked by economic growth and improved infrastructure, largely due to high oil and gas prices, which are central to Algeria’s economy. He was re-elected for second, third, and fourth terms in 2004, 2009, and 2014, respectively, after a constitutional amendment in 2008 removed term limits. During these years, Bouteflika's government faced accusations of increasing authoritarianism, electoral fraud, and suppressing dissent.

His health began to decline in the early 2010s, particularly after suffering a severe stroke in 2013, which left him largely incapacitated. However, he remained in power, rarely appearing in public, while a small group of advisers and military officials effectively governed the country. His decision to run for a fifth term in 2019 sparked widespread protests known as the "Hirak" movement, which demanded political reform and an end to his presidency. Faced with mounting pressure from the public and military, Bouteflika resigned on April 2, 2019, after two decades in power.

Following his resignation, Bouteflika lived in relative isolation, far removed from the political scene that he had dominated for so long. He passed away on September 17, 2021, at the age of 84. Bouteflika's legacy is a subject of significant debate: while some credit him with bringing relative stability to Algeria after years of civil war, others criticize him for fostering corruption, stagnation, and political repression during his long tenure.

REFERENCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdelaziz_Bouteflika