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Bouteflika was buried in El Alia Cemetery without much fanfare, and the official mourning period was provided for the former leader.
Algeria buried Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the longest reigning president of the North African country, in the cemetery of its independent hero, but did not honor the leader who died before him.
On Sunday, Bouteflika died on Friday at the age of 84, and the country was lowered at half-mast before his funeral.
Compared with the death of the previous president, national television did not announce with much fanfare that Bouteflika will be buried in the El Alia Cemetery east of the capital Algiers, where his predecessor and other independence fighters will be buried.
Bouteflika will not receive the ceremony of the Algerian president who died before him, nor will there be an eight-day official mourning period.
His lawyer Salim Hajuti told the Arabic-language website SabqPress that his once powerful brother Said was sentenced to jail on corruption charges and has been allowed to attend.
The news of Bouteflika’s death triggered a calm reaction in the former French colony, reflecting that he was not in public view.
His successor, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, mentioned in a statement Bouteflika’s past as a fighter in the War of Independence, and said that he would be lowered at half-mast for three days to commemorate him.
The former strongman stepped down in April 2019 and was abandoned by the military after weeks of street protests triggered by his campaign for the fifth presidency.
In 1999, as his amnesty for armed Islamic fighters helped end the decade-long civil war, he came to power in a wave of popular support.
Silent response
On the streets of the capital, Algiers, many residents told AFP that the once powerful president would not be missed.
“Bless his soul. But he should not receive any praise, because he has not done anything for the country,” said Greengrocer Laba.
The retiree Ali said that Bouteflika “served his country, but unfortunately, he made a big mistake” for the fourth presidency and then sought a fifth term when he fell ill.
Poor health and protest
Known by Algerians as “Boutef”, he is famous for his three-piece suit even in the heat, and in the 1970s he won the respect of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and helped promote peace after the civil war.
The uprising that swept the Arab world in Algeria in 2011 was basically unaffected. Many people believe that this is related to the memory of the civil war and the increase in national charity.
But Bouteflika’s rule was marked by corruption, and many Algerians wondered how a country with huge oil wealth could push many young people overseas with outdated infrastructure and high unemployment.
Bouteflika faced criticism from rights groups and opponents who accused him of being authoritarian.
He suffered a small stroke in April 2013 that affected his speech and he was forced to use a wheelchair.
He decided to seek a fourth term. His election for the fifth term in 2019 triggered protests, which quickly developed into a democratic movement called “Hirak”.
Some figures from the Bouteflika era were eventually sentenced to prison, but the old guards of his era still rule the country to a large extent.
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